[CT] Palpable Tension

[Alex Harper]

Being an outsider coming to the campout wasn't quite considered fun in Alex's eyes. She had come along because Ash practically begged her. She'd pegged it up to him wanting a wing man/woman to point him in the general direction of hotties. Assuming that she didn't steal the attention from Ashton with her great looks and killer personality. Again, the only things she really had to offer. She knew it was really just so he could keep an eye on her. Keep her out of trouble, away from jail and away from their parents because she'd been picking fights with anyone that came within range of her on a bad day. Her personality was explosive and hard to handle, but if anyone couldn't handle it, she figured she was better off without them. She had Ash and Sophie, she didn't need anyone else.

While Ash had been trying to keep an on eye out for her, he was riding the bus on the way down, while she was stuck snagging a ride with the Academy Grouch aka security guard. Something told her that Ash had tipped off whoever was supervising that she was a flight risk and that she was a troublemaker. It was the only logical reason for them to shove her with the security guy. Especially this one, he was stoney faced, a total bore who was hardly paying her any attention.

Pretty, that was about all he had going for him in the moment. His jawline was angular, high cheekbones and steely eyes. A constant scowl was stuck on his face and she wondered if it was because he was playing babysitter or if he just really hated his life.

Alex tapped her fingers against her leg, her body becoming restless and her attitude becoming harder to rein in. "So is this whole trip just going to be one of silence? Because it's creepy. I don't even know you and you're supposed to be, what, babysitting? I think I'm entitled to know something about my warden." She turned her head towards him and narrowed her eyes, watching him while he drove. "Well?"

[Riley Coleson]

He was tempted to roll his eyes. Riley wasn't exactly the kind of person who went along well with others, though, after spending a few moments reflecting on the situation he now found himself in, he had come to realize that this was the only logical solution. Well, surely, Angela could've taken the girl, but she was nowhere to be found.

With his hands on the wheel, his blue eyes flickered to the side. "You're a non-powered human among hormon filled teenagers whose powers are heavily tied to their emotions," he began as he looked back at the road. "At least most of those kids stands a chance if someone were to throw a hissy fit." She, on the other hand, stood no chance in hell.

And yes, he wasn't about to tell her his life story. In fact, he'd much more enjoy a quiet car ride. He didn't think he was about to quite that lucky, though. "If you call making sure you're not burned to a crisp, then sure, I'm babysitting."

[Alex Harper]

Alex snorted. So what, he was her protector? Was she supposed to be grateful for his forced sense of security? Grateful was not a feeling that Alex found herself accustomed to. Besides, why did she need him when she had her twin brother to look out for her? He'd kept her safe for nineteen years despite their constant fighting and bickering. She wasn't scared of an overly emotional pyro who could do her damage. Or any other angst-ridden teen (like herself) with some freaky-deeky superpower that could get her if she wasn't careful. Getting on someone's bad side was easy, getting herself out of trouble was easy too. With Ash's help.

"Sounds like bullshit to me. Isn't the whole point of this school to rein in the 'hormone-filled teens' that could do me harm? I mean, you all wonder why normies like me are so damn scared of you, but then you tell me you can't contain your students well enough for me to just ride on the bus with my brother? Straight. Up. Bull." She folded her arms across her chest and looked back out the window. While she knew it wasn't him in particular that had made the call to put her in the position. If anything, she was more frustrated at Ash for dragging her along in the first place. Even so, it was easy to take it out on her captor.

Alex huffed, "Seriously, what's your story? You don't talk hardly at all, you're heavily focused on the road, and I don't think I've seen any kind of expression cross your face since we got in the car. Do you really hate your life that much?" Because even as much as she hated the crap life she had, she still did her best to enjoy what she could. Be it getting into trouble or just going out with her best friend and drinking, picking up whoever she could along the way for the night. "Do you even know how to smile?"

[Riley Coleson]

An almost amused smile formed on Riley's lips; though, like any other expression he carried, it lacked emotion. "That is the point, yes," he agreed with a simple nod, eyes fixated on the road ahead. "Do your teachers contain all the students back at your school? I mean, are they able to prevent all and any fight?" He looked at her then, one eyebrow arched. "I'm assuming that's a no," he continued before allowing her the chance to reply. "Picture that, but mix in all kinds of crazy abilities." He didn't think he was going to make her understand. Or, she likely understood, but was far too stubborn to admit to it.

Riley's face hardened slightly at her question; It wasn't something he was willing to get into with a irrational teenage girl. She was likely throwing punches because she couldn't handle her own frustration. "I don't see the point in having a proper conversation with someone only interested in throwing punches to get some kind of reaction out of people." He shrugged. "It's manipulative and childish, so why would I amuse you?"

At least Riley wasn't afraid to call it like he saw it - albeit, yes, he was being rude and putting fuel on the fire. But honestly, he wasn't in the mood to deal with a preteen who acted like she was fourteen year old and thought the entire world was out to get her.

[Alex Harper]

He had a point. "Fine. Fair point, but still. I don't get why my brother couldn't have just driven up with me instead of you. I don't even know you." So who was to say he wasn't just some creep that was going to take her into the woods and cut her up into little pieces. It was safe to say she had an overactive imagination and watched too many slasher films, but wasn't it the pretty boys that often had the most fucked up pasts? Alex could vaguely remember Ash telling her his ability was something like...tracking? Finding people. Yeah, if that wasn't creepy she didn't know what was.

Alex watched him and was pleased with the response she got. It was written all over his face how much she was getting on his nerves. For her it might have even been a personal best in how short of a time it took for him to snap right back at her. "Says the one who literally just threw a punch of his own about how childish and manipulative I am. Please do tell how that makes you any better? And don't act like you're so much older than me. It's like a year and a half, at most." He wasn't wrong in what he said, and Alex was sort of impressed by how straightforward he'd been. Most people, like Ash, tip-toed around what the problem was and what was bothering them. "Just because you're stone-faced and brooding doesn't make you more mature, sweetheart."

She continued watching him, still waiting for the reactions she expected to come. "Besides, maybe if you'd hold a 'proper conversation' with me, I'd stop throwing jabs about how creepy it is that I'm stuck in some stranger danger's car. But, if you don't want to, I can just keep talking about nothing and everything and see how long it takes for you to smother me and toss my body into the woods." Alex found herself smirking. Her attitude came almost too easy around him. Like he was fuel to her fiery nature.

[Riley Coleson]

He let the girl continue her tirade. It was annoying, sure, but if she thought she was getting to him at a personal level, she'd find herself sadly mistaken. Still, Riley was finding himself wondering who was stupid enough to put this girl with him. He wasn't exactly the kind of person one expected to go well around someone so incredibly angry. "The difference between our jabs is that you do it to hurt other people." He looked at her for a brief moment. "And before you throw another jab at me, please remember who started this whole thing." It wasn't him, after all.

It was no wonder her brother wasn't in the car with them, although no one had said that he couldn't. At least, from what Riley had heard. Well, he couldn't blame the boy for picking his classmates over riding with his sister. She wasn't exactly pleasant to be around. "Well, I'd say it's a good thing then that my job is more important than some insecure girl pretending to be tough." 

"I do have a question, though," he continued. "The car is spacious. Why isn't your brother riding with us?" Changing the gears, Riley fished out a pair of sunglasses from the neck of his shirt and put them on. The sun was glaring through the trees.

[Alex Harper]

Alex snorted, "It's not my fault if people are pussies. Sack up and take it, I'm just being honest with people. Besides, it isn't like people aren't honest with me. You for instance; I'm not going to take your comments to heart because I could give a fuck less." Which was a lie, but it didn't matter. To let him know she had any weakness was to show her hand and that was not something she was prepared to do. Authority figures like him were probably the last people she'd ever show vulnerability to. They always thought they could help, that they were helping, but they weren't. No one had helped her in life, she was always just taking it on her own. Ashton couldn't help, he was far too busy in this hell hole of a school and Sophie, well, she had her own shit. This guy though...he was being paid to babysit a nineteen year old normie. What problems could he possibly have?

"Right, pretending. Man, you really do know how to make an ass out of yourself by assuming shit. Did you ever think maybe I am just actually tough? That my living situation sort of forced me to be? No, you didn't think because you don't know me and you don't care to. So instead of you 'pretending' to know anything, how about you ask questions and maybe you'll get an actual answer that's the truth rather than your bullshit ideas or shut the fuck up?" Ash was no doubt going to be hearing from the school board after this car ride alone, not to mention if she got herself in any further trouble. But in her defense, the guy was basically asking for it. She was a hypocrite at best, hating people for assuming things about her, while making her own snap judgments without fault.

Alex's anger deflated like a balloon that had just been popped with a needle when he mentioned that her brother could have ridden with them. She hadn't talked to Ashton about the ride situation, she'd just assumed that he couldn't ride with her because he was a student and she wasn't. To know that it wasn't the case only made her wonder if Ash had really wanted her on this trip for any other reason than to keep her out of trouble and close so that he could at the very least bail her out if need be. Her anger rekindled on more of a burning embers scale and she folded her arms across her chest and glared out the window ahead of her, silence was better than admitting defeat.

[Riley Coleson]

"I'm not being honest?" he asked, curious amusement lighting his eyes up for a brief moment before once again being crushed against total apathy. The girl was enigmatic if nothing else, though, perhaps a touch unstable and ignorant. She was clearly too busy lashing out to truly think of anything as rational. He supposed he could relate. Hadn't he been in the position he currently found himself, he likely would have told the girl exactly where she could go fuck herself. Sadly, he had a job to keep.

"And you're not assuming anything?" he asked in turn, eyebrows raising. "And no, you 'actually being tough' honestly never crossed my mind," he said honestly. She didn't seem tough. She seemed weak and scared and was acting as if her flight or fight instincts were telling her to give the world around her hell. "What, your mother didn't pay enough attention to you? Your brother was the favorite?" He looked at her. Hey, he was asking questions - just like she wanted. "Maybe your dad spends too much time working?" He shook his head then. "I can tell you that some people have it worse."

It seemed as if he'd struck a nerve. There was no comeback, no witty remark and absolutely no snark. He almost felt bad about what he'd said. Almost. But hey, at least he'd gotten what he wanted; quiet.

[Alex Harper]

"Nope, pretty sure you're talking out of your ass," She grumbled to herself. Her attitude was dwindling because it was getting her no where, it seemed to only be making the car ride ten times longer. She wasn't any closer to her brother or the activities that she no doubt would be watched like a hawk at. God, she just hoped it wasn't him that ended up being in charge of babysitting her the entire time. Surely that wouldn't end well, perhaps in her lunging at him and his 'abilities' taking over or something because she was supposed to be scared of mutants right? Isn't that what he'd said?

When he called her on her hypocrisy, she frowned and stuck her nose up in the air, just like her mother had taught her to do with people who were lesser. Not that she considered him lesser, but for the moment she was pissed and wasn't about to take his shit. But it only got worse. Like he was plucking all of her insecurities right out of her brain. He didn't know anything about her, how could he have possibly guessed all of those things to be so right. Her anger was flaring up again, causing her face to turn red and her fingers to shake. She wanted to hit him, but if she did it would only result in him wrecking the car and killing them both. Oh, but it was almost worth it, just to land one swing right to his suck hole.

"Oh we're playing a guessing game? Let me try! Hmm," She put a finger to her lip and tapped before beginning to speak again. "Daddy left you, probably because you were just such a peach growing up. Your mom blames you because it clearly wasn't her fault that you were so hard to take care of. She turned to drugs, or was it booze? Maybe both? And that's why you felt like you had to 'mature' faster than everyone else which then made you the biggest asshole in all the land," Alex risked a glance at him to see if she could find any inkling that she was right. Maybe she was way off base, but clearly he'd been talking about himself when he said people had it worse. As if he knew what it was like having parents that hated you your whole life and a brother who only got the same treatment after he'd manifested into something they hated.

[Riley Coleson]

As much as Riley wanted to defend himself or even claim that the girl was lying, wouldn't he simply be doing the same thing he'd called her out for? Once again, Riley's expression turned blank, though a tad more tense than before. Perhaps he looked a tad distracted or maybe he was simply putting too much thought into it. He grew silent for a moment before pursing his lips. "More or less," he said, his voice devoid of any emotion.

There was little else to say about it. Though, naturally, he could have explained by saying that his father only left because Riley was a mutant, though was that really much different? After all, his father had left because of him and yes, his mother did blame him. The only part the girl got wrong was why he'd been forced to grow earlier than he should have; his sister, Willow. 

But Riley wasn't exactly about to tell this girl about his younger sister. He wanted her left out of all of this as much as humanly possible, though, with both his sister and this girl being non-mutants, chances were they had likely gone to the same high school. There was likely a bit of an age difference, but still. He wouldn't dare.

[Alex Harper]

Alex was ready for a rebuttal. Ready for a fight, for screaming and yelling and anything she could latch onto that would make her hate him more. She knew he played brooding and better than everyone, but he wasn't. He wasn't any better because he was going to scream at her any second about how wrong she was. She was right though, she could see it in his eyes and all over his face. The set of his jaw, the way he wouldn't even look at her. Fuck, she was right. And he wasn't going to tell her any different. There was no anger, no violent reaction like she'd been banking on, like she'd hoped for. And that of course just made her gut twist because what an awful thing to deal with at an age not much older than her own.

She didn't know what to say, or how to approach it further because while her parents had very well been in her life the whole time, she had felt abandonment from them, it just wasn't the same as what he felt. Even still, Ash had dealt with something similar after he manifested. Their parents had all but erased him from the family, it had been Alex's decision to disappear with him. Perhaps that was why she'd been trying not to resent her brother, even if it didn't always work. She didn't want to feel guilty for her words because she knew he didn't feel guilty for his, but that was what made them different.

"Yeah, well, some people don't deserve to be parents anyway," It was all she could get out, the only thing that felt safe to say. Alex wasn't about to go feeling sorry for him, nor was she about to apologize for being right. It wasn't her fault that she'd guessed so spot on anymore than it was his fault for guessing her own situation. Had he apologized? No. Her eyes drifted down and back out the window, but she kept watching him in her peripheral. Welp, it explained why they were both such assholes, though she knew neither of them were the type to admit to such a thing.

[Riley Coleson]

Deflection was an art Riley had perfected for years. He'd learned to keep people on an arm's length and yes, her words had struck a nerve, but he'd also learned not to be too bothered by them. Unlike she, he wasn't going to go into fits of anger. Though, that was mostly because he'd called her out on being a hypocrite, so he couldn't very well take a stab to his pain by doing the same thing.

Arching his eyebrow at her, he almost wanted to chuckle. He didn't, though. Instead, he turned his gaze back at the road. "So the wench can be silenced after all." He probably should have left it at that, but being Riley, he'd much rather have the girl be angry at him or even hate him than showing him any pity. That was by far the worst outcome that could come of any of this.

Which was likely why the next words that came out of his mouth were anything but nice, "Save your pity for yourself, it seems like you need something to drown yourself in when your brother finally realizes what life is without the dead weight."

[Alex Harper]

Alex could only roll her eyes at his first statement, but it also made her want to smirk because he was successful in silencing her. It wasn't because he'd bested her on who's life sucked the most. She'd gotten what she wanted though, a look at who was stuck babysitting her. She probably knew him better than most people just from what she'd guessed. That was all the fuel she needed because it showed her that he wasn't better, that they were the same no matter how hard he wanted to deny it. They were both fucked up in different ways.

But he couldn't let it just be. Not that she'd have done anything differently, but his words struck that same nerve about Ashton.

She swallowed hard against the pain that had swelled up in her chest. And here, she'd thought they'd have been able to sit in the car for the rest of the time in a comfortable silence. Oh no, he just had to piss all over her and show that he was the one who had the upper hand. It sickened her through and through that he knew anything about her now. He didn't deserve her pity or her guilt and it was gone after he spoke. "Oh don't worry, babe. I have no fucking pity for you, only understanding for your father for leaving. I'd hate my kid if he was such a prick, too." She shrugged and looked back out the window, refusing for the rest of the trip to make any kind of eye contact with him. In fact, the moment they were at the campsite, she was going to get the fuck away from him.

[Riley Coleson]

An emotionless grin formed on Riley's lips at her words. "Well, if it's any consolation, no one would be stupid enough to let you breed, so I'm sure you'll never have the chance to find out." Was he being childish? Of course. He knew it too. He was all too aware of how unneeded his comments were, but he couldn't stop himself. No matter how hard he tried, he could give it a rest. "I mean, if your own brother don't want you, who would?"

But perhaps this would allow him to be free of the girl. Maybe this meant she'd do everything in her power for their paths not to cross again. Maybe she'd behave - or if she didn't, she'd hopefully ask to be assigned to someone else. Someone more appropriate. Someone who actually wanted to deal with this childish little preteen.

Anything to be left alone. Some people he could handle, but this girl was ridiculous. 

[Alex Harper]

"Oh yeah because I bet girls are just lining up for you to give them your sperm," Alex laughed at the very thought of this fucker being a father figure. It was sickening to think of him caring for anyone. They'd end up just as fucked as he was, cynical, angry and full of themselves. The world was full of shitty people, the last thing they needed was more like him. Besides, he acted as though she actually wanted children, she wasn't dumb enough to subject a kid to her kind of parenting. She wasn't cut out for parenthood, at least she could come to terms with that.

Alex's blood boiled, "You don't know jack shit about my fucking brother and our relationship. Period, end of fucking discussion. Now if you'd kindly shut the fuck up, maybe you'll get that quiet time you wanted so fucking desperately." With that, she turned her body towards the door and the window, away from him. Silence was all she could ask for for the rest of the car ride. It was the only thing that would probably keep her from jumping out of a moving vehicle.

Then again, she'd love to watch him talk his way out of what happened to her to Ashton. He'd see right through this asshole's lies.



((WRAP))