Caught Up [3/?]
Caught Up
Rating: PG?
Pairing: None
Genre: idek angst?
Word Count: 1239
Summary: In a world where being different is on par with the most heinous of crimes, hiding is the only option. Being found out brings about the worst nightmares for most-betrayal, abandonment, imprisonment, experimentation.
Death.
Kris is fifteen when he cheats death.
It's nerve-wracking, Kris finds, moving countries. Well maybe not that part, that part is actually kind of exciting, and he loves the thrill of it. He just finds the idea of attending a school in Canada nerve-wracking. He's fluent in English for the most part, but he knows nothing of French, and they're in a part of town that's very much not Asian in any way.
His mother pats his knee as they sit in the unloading lane in front of the school, trying to comfort him the best she can. "You'll be okay," she says with a squeeze. "Now get out before you're late!"
He tries to laugh with her, stepping out hesitantly and saying his goodbyes before steeling himself and entering the building.
It doesn't go as badly as he expects. The teachers are all very welcoming, the students just as friendly, and even though he can't understand a word of the French floating through the halls he decides that he doesn't mind, that he likes it here.
He's in the cafeteria, trying to get used to the lack of rice on his tray when a girl comes to sit near him, smiling softly. "You're the exchange student, right?" she asks, tiling her head, blonde hair spilling over her pale shoulder.
Kris shakes his head, smiling back because the pressure of having to approach someone else first has been alleviated, and he's so relieved. "New actually, my family just moved here."
"I see," she says, nodding and offering her hand. "Welcome then. I hope you like it here."
Kris shakes it a little awkwardly, his hand so big compared to hers, and they fall into somewhat easier conversation. He learns that she's lived in this town her whole life, knows almost every student, that her name is Anna, and probably most importantly-she's a fan of anime.
"No but really," she insists, laughing and nodding in mock seriousness. "You really look like an anime character. Tall, dark, handsome," she says, sending him an exaggerated wink. "You've got it all."
Kris can't help the chuckle he lets out, head tilting back and bringing his hand up to cover his mouth. It's a nice thought, but all the anime characters are so much more suave than he is, and not so...awkward. They also probably don't blush in embarrassment as much as he does either.
Before he can say anything to denounce it though she's grinning again, picking up her bag from the bench beside her. "There is one thing you're missing though," she laughs, gesturing for him to stand with her.
He stands, a little confused. "What's that?" he asks, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and picking up his tray from the table.
"One of those rooftop scenes," she says like it explains everything, and Kris supposes it does. Every lead anime character had at least one rooftop scene.
He opens his mouth to ask how on earth she plans to get him one to 'level' him up to full 'anime protagonist' status when she grins again, nodding her head toward the cafeteria exit. "We still have twenty minutes left for lunch, follow me. I hope you're not afraid of heights!"
Kris dumps his tray, following after her hesitantly. He doesn't think he's afraid of heights, but he can't really recall ever having been in a situation for him to be afraid of them. He doesn't think their seventh story apartment back in China counted.
He shakes his head, following her out and up a stairwell to what he assumes is the roof. It's bright outside, and he brings his hand up to get a better view. It's just cement and a chain link fence, nothing special, but it definitely fits the requirements for what is apparently to be his 'anime rooftop scene.'
"See, now all you have to do is lean on the fence here," she says, grabbing his arm and tugging him to where she thinks is the best spot. Part of him wants to tell her this is ridiculous, but the other part thinks it's nice. It's silly and fun, and she's being so nice and open with him on his first day.
So he cooperates, letting her lead him over toward the edge, only stopping when he sees the condition the fence is in. It makes him pause, glancing over at her, eyebrows furrowed. "Is it safe?" he asks, the rust spots and broken links near one of the poles making him wary. Very wary.
"Of course it is!" she assures him, practically flinging herself at the fence, and Kris drops his bag, worried he'll have to grab her should it break and send her four stories down. It doesn't though, and she turns back to him, giving him a smile. "See?"
He tries to smile back, running shaky hands through his hair. "Sure it is," he says with a small laugh.
"It is!" she insists, grabbing his arm again and positioning him against the fence, handing him his backpack and arranging it until it's 'perfect.' Then she rummages around in her own bag before producing a purple camera.
He laughs again, not having expected a real camera, but he supposes it's better than going through all the work of posing for nothing.
"No, no you can't smile," she scolds playfully, waving a finger at him. "You have to look serious. You're a lead anime character, not the sidekick."
It takes him a few seconds to stop laughing at her explanation and school his face into a 'serious' mask. She takes the picture as soon as he does, checking it on the screen before dropping it back in her bag. "Perfect," she says, nodding and holding her thumbs up.
"Am I an official anime character now?" he jokes, raising an eyebrow.
She makes an affirmative noise, nearly flopping back against the fence with him, the links he'd been worried about before giving way, wire falling away and sending them both with it. Or just him, Kris realizes, noticing that she's grabbed a hold of the pole in the second before he's falling with nothing but air to hold onto.
He shrieks, closing his eyes and praying, hoping that something interferes, that there's some kind of miracle because he doesn't want to die, not like this. Not on the first day of school because he was having some harmless fun with the nice girl who'd bothered to talk to him.
It takes him a few seconds to realize that he should have hit the ground, should have died, or at least broken any number of bones and he opens his eyes, the sidewalk just inches from his face. It's the biggest surprise of his life, to find himself just hovering in midair and he nearly has a heart attack, realizing exactly what's going on.
He scrambles to his feet, fumbling with trembling hands to get his phone out of his pocket, having to redial the new number three times before he gets it right, making his way toward the back of the school where he won't get caught for waiting, and hopefully won't be seen. It's the last thing he wants right now.
"Can you pick me up? It's important," he says as soon as his mother picks up, pacing around in anxious circles.
Important indeed. He's just blown everything. Their move, his new friend, this school...his life.
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Rating: PG?
Pairing: None
Genre: idek angst?
Word Count: 1239
Summary: In a world where being different is on par with the most heinous of crimes, hiding is the only option. Being found out brings about the worst nightmares for most-betrayal, abandonment, imprisonment, experimentation.
Death.
Kris is fifteen when he cheats death.
It's nerve-wracking, Kris finds, moving countries. Well maybe not that part, that part is actually kind of exciting, and he loves the thrill of it. He just finds the idea of attending a school in Canada nerve-wracking. He's fluent in English for the most part, but he knows nothing of French, and they're in a part of town that's very much not Asian in any way.
His mother pats his knee as they sit in the unloading lane in front of the school, trying to comfort him the best she can. "You'll be okay," she says with a squeeze. "Now get out before you're late!"
He tries to laugh with her, stepping out hesitantly and saying his goodbyes before steeling himself and entering the building.
It doesn't go as badly as he expects. The teachers are all very welcoming, the students just as friendly, and even though he can't understand a word of the French floating through the halls he decides that he doesn't mind, that he likes it here.
He's in the cafeteria, trying to get used to the lack of rice on his tray when a girl comes to sit near him, smiling softly. "You're the exchange student, right?" she asks, tiling her head, blonde hair spilling over her pale shoulder.
Kris shakes his head, smiling back because the pressure of having to approach someone else first has been alleviated, and he's so relieved. "New actually, my family just moved here."
"I see," she says, nodding and offering her hand. "Welcome then. I hope you like it here."
Kris shakes it a little awkwardly, his hand so big compared to hers, and they fall into somewhat easier conversation. He learns that she's lived in this town her whole life, knows almost every student, that her name is Anna, and probably most importantly-she's a fan of anime.
"No but really," she insists, laughing and nodding in mock seriousness. "You really look like an anime character. Tall, dark, handsome," she says, sending him an exaggerated wink. "You've got it all."
Kris can't help the chuckle he lets out, head tilting back and bringing his hand up to cover his mouth. It's a nice thought, but all the anime characters are so much more suave than he is, and not so...awkward. They also probably don't blush in embarrassment as much as he does either.
Before he can say anything to denounce it though she's grinning again, picking up her bag from the bench beside her. "There is one thing you're missing though," she laughs, gesturing for him to stand with her.
He stands, a little confused. "What's that?" he asks, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and picking up his tray from the table.
"One of those rooftop scenes," she says like it explains everything, and Kris supposes it does. Every lead anime character had at least one rooftop scene.
He opens his mouth to ask how on earth she plans to get him one to 'level' him up to full 'anime protagonist' status when she grins again, nodding her head toward the cafeteria exit. "We still have twenty minutes left for lunch, follow me. I hope you're not afraid of heights!"
Kris dumps his tray, following after her hesitantly. He doesn't think he's afraid of heights, but he can't really recall ever having been in a situation for him to be afraid of them. He doesn't think their seventh story apartment back in China counted.
He shakes his head, following her out and up a stairwell to what he assumes is the roof. It's bright outside, and he brings his hand up to get a better view. It's just cement and a chain link fence, nothing special, but it definitely fits the requirements for what is apparently to be his 'anime rooftop scene.'
"See, now all you have to do is lean on the fence here," she says, grabbing his arm and tugging him to where she thinks is the best spot. Part of him wants to tell her this is ridiculous, but the other part thinks it's nice. It's silly and fun, and she's being so nice and open with him on his first day.
So he cooperates, letting her lead him over toward the edge, only stopping when he sees the condition the fence is in. It makes him pause, glancing over at her, eyebrows furrowed. "Is it safe?" he asks, the rust spots and broken links near one of the poles making him wary. Very wary.
"Of course it is!" she assures him, practically flinging herself at the fence, and Kris drops his bag, worried he'll have to grab her should it break and send her four stories down. It doesn't though, and she turns back to him, giving him a smile. "See?"
He tries to smile back, running shaky hands through his hair. "Sure it is," he says with a small laugh.
"It is!" she insists, grabbing his arm again and positioning him against the fence, handing him his backpack and arranging it until it's 'perfect.' Then she rummages around in her own bag before producing a purple camera.
He laughs again, not having expected a real camera, but he supposes it's better than going through all the work of posing for nothing.
"No, no you can't smile," she scolds playfully, waving a finger at him. "You have to look serious. You're a lead anime character, not the sidekick."
It takes him a few seconds to stop laughing at her explanation and school his face into a 'serious' mask. She takes the picture as soon as he does, checking it on the screen before dropping it back in her bag. "Perfect," she says, nodding and holding her thumbs up.
"Am I an official anime character now?" he jokes, raising an eyebrow.
She makes an affirmative noise, nearly flopping back against the fence with him, the links he'd been worried about before giving way, wire falling away and sending them both with it. Or just him, Kris realizes, noticing that she's grabbed a hold of the pole in the second before he's falling with nothing but air to hold onto.
He shrieks, closing his eyes and praying, hoping that something interferes, that there's some kind of miracle because he doesn't want to die, not like this. Not on the first day of school because he was having some harmless fun with the nice girl who'd bothered to talk to him.
It takes him a few seconds to realize that he should have hit the ground, should have died, or at least broken any number of bones and he opens his eyes, the sidewalk just inches from his face. It's the biggest surprise of his life, to find himself just hovering in midair and he nearly has a heart attack, realizing exactly what's going on.
He scrambles to his feet, fumbling with trembling hands to get his phone out of his pocket, having to redial the new number three times before he gets it right, making his way toward the back of the school where he won't get caught for waiting, and hopefully won't be seen. It's the last thing he wants right now.
"Can you pick me up? It's important," he says as soon as his mother picks up, pacing around in anxious circles.
Important indeed. He's just blown everything. Their move, his new friend, this school...his life.
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