« Prev 1 Next » Reply Share Thread Facebook Twitter Tumblr LinkedIn MySpace Email Go to Previous Thread Next Thread Please make a selection first Author Topic: Return from a long trip (Read 330 times) connor Guest [send pm] Joined: January 1970 Posts: 0 Return from a long trip « Sept 1, 2009 18:23:18 GMT -6 » Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top The plane landed safely enough, and the announcement came to exit. Everyone filed out, and headed to luggage. All but one. That one passenger simply took his leave from the airport, and headed to where the cabs picked people up. They knew to find him, and guided him to the right car. Someone would be by the school later with his things, though he hadn't taken much with him, so he was still all settled. Few had known he had left, and fewer knew he was back. His thoughts wandered, wondering what might have changed in his absence. The cab arrived at the school, and the boy paid for his fair in cash. He walked from there, knowing exactly where his dorm was. He seemed more sure of himself. He had gone to Japan with one other, though that person had remained there, and had not taken a return trip. They had, for now, parted ways. The key slid into the lock, and the door opened. For a moment, he hoped that she would be there. Rummaging through his things, looking for something to eat. He knew, however, that Berlin wouldn't be there. The boy muttered under his breath at being hopeful. He'd be lucky if she even wanted to remain friends with him. Lights were something he didn't need, and he headed into the room, and plopped down on the couch. He recalled the trip in bits, and the arguments that ensued between him and his former mentor. How Suichi was "looking out for him" and "only doing what he thought was best." The boy shook his head. He felt it was time to start taking more control of his life. To focus on things. He felt he should have done that before, and maybe none of this mess would have happened. But, one can't change the past. He could only hope to move on. His sightless gaze hovered over his room, and he extended his other senses. The room was empty, devoid of anyone but himself. He thought about getting a pet, and made a mental note to do so within a few days. He plopped himself down on the couch, and took a deep breath. He let it out, and put his head back. He allowed his thoughts to be spoken aloud, shattering the heavy silence. "Connor, you're home." Back to Top   berlin Guest [send pm] Joined: January 1970 Posts: 0 Return from a long trip « Sept 1, 2009 18:37:32 GMT -6 » Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top "Berly!" Berlin whirled around in the hall of the boys dormitory. Blonde hair styled straight and the scent of her new favorite shampoo whirled around in the hair. She had filled out, cutetened up, and become quite the looker since Santiago had taken her under his wing. Giving her a home, a job, transportation, and a boyfriend to come to every night. "What?!" she asked. "You know I gots to go home dude!" She teased getting a chuckle out of the guy's room she had just left. Was she cheating? No. She was getting tutoring. Not in school work, she was getting that from Santiago who was teaching her how to read. Austin was teaching her how to dance. She wanted to join the dance group he was a part of and he was gearing her up for the auditions that were coming up soon. "Oh whatever the old lady can hang tight for another minute." Berlin laughed. "Yeah I'm sure San will be SO happy you called him that Aus, I'll let him know." "Hey hey! Don't bring that Mexican bastard in here!" "What do you want?!" She laughed shrugging her shoulders her blue eyes dancing with the light of life. She was wearing a pair of well fitted exercise pants and a tank top her hair was down now but it had been up earlier and the slight sheen of sweat still covered her pale skin from the work out. "Same time tomorrow right? I was thinking the gym though, more room to move, better accoustics and my roomie is gettin' pissed." Berlin grinned. "Boy I don't care about Widgit!" She teased and they both laughed at the nickname they had given his techie roomate. "Yeah but if he complains on me and they raid I'll lose my dealer!" Berlin grinned. "Ah so true. Alright, the gym then, same time. Bring good music." she hugged Austin one more time and she turned to head out of the dorms and get home to Santiago's place. To their bed, to her room, her closet of clothes, her happy home that made her smile and laugh and a man that held her and told her she was beautiful. Completely unaware that a certain blind boy was back, and had heard. Back to Top   connor Guest [send pm] Joined: January 1970 Posts: 0 Return from a long trip « Sept 1, 2009 18:52:24 GMT -6 » Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Connor had heard voices in the hall. Ok, so not right in his hall, but his hearing was good. Too good sometimes. As most everything was silent, it made the conversation easy to hear, though not everything was clear. He knew at least one voice very distinctly. It was the same voice he had yearned to hear since before he had to leave, and one he thought would be full of anger should she see him again. However it sounded happy and full of life. At least he hadn't prevented her form that. But, the fact that the word "dealer" and "raid" were just tossed around made him cock a brow. Berlin wouldn't have gotten herself mixed in drugs, would she? Well, she was a "street girl." Maybe Suichi was right? Connor shook his head. No, if she had gotten herself involved in something like that, then Connor blamed himself. If he had just stood up to Suichi before... Again, one couldn't change the past. Connor opened the door, and followed the footsteps of the girl who he once knew. At least, at the very least, he felt he owed her an apology. He walked softly, and spoke softly as well. Her reaction would determine how he would handle this. "Berlin?" Back to Top   berlin Guest [send pm] Joined: January 1970 Posts: 0 Return from a long trip « Sept 1, 2009 19:10:04 GMT -6 » Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Berlin whirled back around after her hug with Austin who was basically, lately, her best friend. He was a good one, he probably had the hots for her. Yay hots! But she was already taken and Berlin was a severely loyal girl. She headed down the hall pulling out her cell phone. Made of bright red plastic and all the electronics. She began to type in a message her fingers flying over the keyboard. She was getting better and with Santiagos' help and tutoring she was getting more and more good at writing and reading. Still not on grade level. But better than before. She was even learning Spanish! Something she had never anticipated herself. She loved it though, when Sans poke to her in her ear, whispering spanish to her before bed, or when they were cuddling, or when he was feeling particularly lovey. Just the thought of him brought a smile to her face. The wallpaper on her cell was a picture she had taken with the camera of both of them smiling into the lens. They made a cute couple. His dark complexion and bright green eyes and her pale colors and bright blue eyes. Both smiling like idiot. She snapped the keyboard on her phone up behind the screen and she grinned. She was on her way home. "Berlin?" Oh.. not cool. So NOT cool! Berlin froze. She knew that voice. The one that had broken up with her and abandoned her because his daddy told him to. She turned, her blue eyes seeing what she had feared. Connor was back. From his sojourn to Japan. "Oh..." she pursed her lips. "Hey." Her voice wasn't warm and giggly. It was pretty blank. She was hiding everything the best she could. The pain of him leaving. The betrayal she felt. The fact that her broken heart still hurt from time to time at the mere thought of him. "Uhhh so.. your back obviously. Well cool.. hope you had a good one." She turned again, there was no reason to stay. She really didn't want to drudge up those unhappy memories with a guy that had saw her unfit for his life. Back to Top   connor Guest [send pm] Joined: January 1970 Posts: 0 Return from a long trip « Sept 1, 2009 19:29:15 GMT -6 » Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top He could hear it. She wasn't exactly happy to see him, and he couldn't blame her. He didn't hide the pain in his look or his voice. He hated that he had hurt someone, more that he had done it to her. He stood there, and heard her turn. Part of him wanted to let her walk away. His heart ached with that thought. He spoke before he could stop himself. "Berlin, wait." He faced the ground, then brought his face up to meet hers. "I won't keep you here. I just wanted to apologize." He suppressed the anger he was feeling at his former mentor. "I know it's not much, and it probably means little to you. But, you still deserve that much." He sighed. "Oh, and for what it's worth, I'm not speaking to him anymore. He stayed in Japan." He closed his eyes. He didn't wear the shades anymore. He didn't care if someone was uncomfortable with it. His eyes were his, and part of him. They could accept that, or leave him alone. "If... you ever want to talk... you know where to find me." He made a face that showed he knew how lame it sounded. But, one could also tell he didn't know what to say, and that he felt horrible. He didn't want to bring everything back up. He doubted it was a memory she wanted to relive. But, at some point they would probably hash things out. If now was the time, she could let him know. He wouldn't force her to. He had no right. "Before... when I heard you... you sounded happy." He gave a small grin. "For that much, I'm glad too." I just wish it could have been with me. "Sorry for keeping you." With that, he'd let her go. He wished he could have hugged her. Cried to her and told her how sorry he was. Not that he expected her to come back to him. Just... to at least maybe salvage something of a friendship. Maybe, in time, they could. At least, he hoped so. Back to Top   berlin Guest [send pm] Joined: January 1970 Posts: 0 Return from a long trip « Sept 1, 2009 19:54:09 GMT -6 » Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top ...Berlin wait... Those were words she hadn't expected nor really desired to hear. She had done away with Connor. With the heartbreak he had brought. She hated the thought of how he had picked his father's wishes over her. He had told her she was special. Given her such romance and love. Cared for her when she was nothing more than a street rat. And then tossed her back into the very world she had come from like she was nothing more than that.. ...a street rat. SHE WAS MORE THAN THAT!! Especially now. "I won't keep you here. I just wanted to apologize." Oh.. he wanted to appologize? How sweet. It was a good thing he was blind because her face was probably giving off the most unforgiving vibes in the world. She shifted her weight to her right hip and crossed her arms over her chest waiting her fingers drumming on the bicep of her arm. "I know it's not much, and it probably means little to you. But, you still deserve that much." She didn't care what he thought about that, his appology shouldn't have ever had to have been made. They were good together. Sweet together. They had been everything to one another and he had broken up with her because she wasn't good enough. Screw. That. "Oh, and for what it's worth, I'm not speaking to him anymore. He stayed in Japan." THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT BETTER!!! THAT MADE IT WORSE!!! So that he broke up with her for nothing?! For a trip to Japan so he could go emo and angry and have his rebellioius teenage phase in a different country and come back fatherless?! The father that he respected so much he had dumped her because of his wishes?! Oh no.. that totally didn't make ANYTHING better. "If... you ever want to talk... you know where to find me." "So that's it? You broke up with me because Daddy said I'm not good enough. You take off to Jappy and come back without a daddy and that's somehow supposed to make me feel better?!" She let out a snort. "Well news flash there connor it doesn't make anything better. Because now .. NOW I was dumped for no reason at all. Thank you so VERY MUCH for putting me in my place once more. Berlin the street rat at your service." the last line was said with sarcasm and malice. "Before... when I heard you... you sounded happy. For that much, I'm glad too." She WAS happy. Now. She loved her life now. She had her Santiago, she had her apartment her own room she was furnishing with money from her job. She had a car, she had everything she could need to get on in life. She was working on love, she was not going to jump into love as quickly as she had before. But Santiago was certainly working for it and earning it every day. "No problem. Glad my happiness can clear your conscience." "Sorry for keeping you." Her eyes narrowed. She pursed her lips and she moved towards him. His eyes had never frightened her, and they never repulsed her. HE repulsed her... his decision repulsed her but it had nothing to do with his eyes sight. She brushed past him in an array of slight bit of sweat and her floral shampoo as she entered his once empty dorm and headed across to sit on the coffee table. She was NOT going to sit beside him. She didn't want to be that close to him she was still angry. When he entered she waited for the door to close, her arms resting on her knees her back hunched slightly as she spoke. "So you wanna come clean with what really happened? Why you really dumped me because I think I deserve to know, why you dumped me, left me, and came back ALONE!!" Back to Top   connor Guest [send pm] Joined: January 1970 Posts: 0 Return from a long trip « Sept 1, 2009 20:20:49 GMT -6 » Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top He wasn't ready for her. He had expected anger, and he felt he deserved every bit of it. He didn't fight her, nor argue. Every word out of his mouth was met with biting hatred, and that was what hurt. She followed him to his dorm, and came inside. It didn't make any sense to him but he let her in and shut the door. She was as far form him as she could be. When she spoke, she was heated, and he felt her anger radiating off of her. She felt like they had broke up for no reason. Honestly, he felt the same way. It had been for nothing. Without Suichi, it must have made less sense. She wanted him to "come clean." He didn't know what to say to her. She knew why they broke up. But, why he had come back alone... that was still a mystery. He would tell her everything he could. "There isn't really anything to come clean about." Even though he couldn't see her, he still couldn't bring his face to meet hers. Not now. He had tried before, and had been met with anger he wasn't ready to face. "If you think that your happiness clears my conscious, you're wrong. I only said I am glad you were able to." He sighed. "After you left that night, Suichi spoke to me. Told me that he felt you were wrong for me. That he thought you'd take advantage of me. I argued with him, but he remained firm with his feelings. There wasn't anything I could say that would convince him otherwise. He told me that staying with you would be the worst decision I could make, and also managed to throw in that I was rushing in way to fast into something I wasn't ready for." The look on his face showed how much anger he had at having to repeat and relive that discussion. "He told me I wasn't ready for a relationship, especially in one with a girl who..." he didn't want to say it, but he knew Berlin would press him if he didn't. It was painful for him to say. "... who he thought was unclean, and 'experienced.'" He took a breath, ignoring that his eyes were welling up. "I... should have fought more, but after hearing more of that along the same lines, and having him tell me I wasn't ready for this... I..." his fists balled just thinking about it. He hated that he had felt so weak. "I backed down, and broke it off with you, even though I knew he was wrong. Then he thought a trip would take my mind off of you. So, he took me to his home in Japan. Where he still has some family." He shook his head. "Obviously it didn't do what he hoped it would. I didn't talk to him for the first three days we were there. After a while, I managed to straighten my head out. I hated that he had said those things about you. I hated that he had made me feel stupid, weak, and too young to make any decision. I didn't fight with him. I had just backed down, proving him right." "On the last day, I spoke to him, and told him how I felt. How he put me through all that garbage, and made me put you through worse. I told him I didn't feel I could learn anything more form him, and that if we were to speak, it would be on my terms." His eyes had welled up completely, but no tear fell. "I came back without him because I need to be on my own, without his protection, without his tutoring, and without his input." He faced her, his face full of pain and regret. "I should have fought him back then. I shouldn't have left, and I never should have hurt you." He looked away. "I didn't drop him and come back expecting you'd come back to me. You are right... there was no real reason to break up with you. A stupid boy took the word of someone else." He sat there, expecting her to lash out again. Maybe she would yell and scream. Throw something at him? Hit him? Who knows. "You have every right to hate me. I screwed up, and I can't fix it." He didn't have anything left. He was drained, and he didn't know if she believed or cared about his side. Her anger... he doubted they would even be friends at this point. "I... really am sorry. I was wrong..." He rubbed his eyes before any tear could fall. The story, at least to him, didn't help at all. It was only an explanation of facts. Point was he had still hurt her. He wanted a friend in her, but even he knew that he didn't deserve it. He could blame Suichi all he wanted, but in the end he had made the choice to break up with her. If he should be mad with anyone, it was in himself. Back to Top   berlin Guest [send pm] Joined: January 1970 Posts: 0 Return from a long trip « Sept 5, 2009 21:48:33 GMT -6 » Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top "He told me I wasn't ready for a relationship, especially in one with a girl who...... who he thought was unclean, and 'experienced.'" Berlin's body shifted and stiffened. "I see. I KNEW he thought I was trash. He was all nice to me when you were around but before.. you showed up he was nasty.. and insulted me. Then you came home and we were Best friends, til I left and he got his hands on you. I should have gone with my gut instinct and left before you got home." Berlin chastised herself as well as Connor as she sat there staring off to the side at the window that she had used to come in and out of his room so often. She had her own place now. Well she lived with San, and she was falling for him and the way he took care of her meant the world to her. the way he whispered to her, and kissed her good morening and goodnight always made her happy. "I... should have fought more "Well the fact that you didn't proves that what I thought we had we didn't. As much as I wished it was. It wasn't, because if you really cared for me like I had cared for you, you would have stood up for me Connor." That was how she felt, and she felt as though she couldn't imagine it being wrong, it had to be right. If he had really loved her or thought she was something special then one would think that he would have stood up for her, for them. But isntead he had dumped her, and then left heading off to Japan with his mentor. He came back without him of course, but that didn't make it easy for her to accept anything it made it worse! "Obviously it didn't do what he hoped it would. I didn't talk to him for the first three days we were there. After a while, I managed to straighten my head out. I hated that he had said those things about you. She looked over at him gently. Not that he could see her or anything but she was reading his face and she was reading the fact that he was telling her the truth. That didn't make it hurt any less. As much as if she told him she had found someone else would. It would be painful to him she both wanted to and didn't want to tell him at the same time. He told her he had come back from Japan telling his mentor that he was no longer needed and that he was going to be just fine as he was. That he had nothing left to teach his young adopted son and therefore was not needed. Berlin rose her brow but she said nothing, as he mentioned coming back on his own. "I didn't drop him and come back expecting you'd come back to me. You are right... there was no real reason to break up with you. A stupid boy took the word of someone else." She sighed softly. "You were stupid. I'm sorry Connor I'm not going to sugar coat this for you. We had something good. I know I didn't have much to offer. You gave me more than I ever gave you and I'm sure your father thought I was using you. But if he had known... how much I had cared... but then again, I doubt he could see behind the dirt and the whole starving thing. Or the fact that yes.s. while living on the streets I did lose my virginity. NOT something i'm Proud of, had he given me the chance to tell him." She sighed gently. "If I was going to use you I would have. But I didn't. I never asked anything of you. You gave me the shoes and the shirts and the bowl. I brought the shirts and the bowl back and if you want the shoes you can have them. The shirts and the bowl are on your kitchen table. I don't want to owe you anything. So there's a twenty for the shoes in the bowl. Just.. call it even or whatever." Money?! Berlin had money? Why yes... yes she did, at least for now she did, and that wasn't something that she was sure he would be all to happy to learn. At least not when he learned how she got her money instead of earning it through a real job. Oh she planned at some point to get one that didn't involve drugs but to be honest it paid better than anything else. "You have every right to hate me. I screwed up, and I can't fix it." She sighed again. "I don't.. hate you... but I don't.. know you. At least, I don't think I know you because you aren't the one I thought you were. When we met, I met this guy that was kind, gentle, loving, and unconditionally sweet. But then.. everything changed when he met me and you left me as though I was nothing. Reminding me of exactly what I was, who I was, and where I stood in this world." Berlin stood as she straightened out her nice clothing she sighed tossing her clean hair behind her shoulder and she moved over to the window that she used to come in and out of. He had never been in her dorm so it wasn't as though he would be looking for her there. Which was good since she didn't live in the dorms anymore she and Santi shared an apartment that she loved. And she was already getting her own things, she had.. her own things. "I really don't know what to say. I've felt low a lot in my life. I've been reminded just what kind of street scum I was so many times. I've sold myself for food, for warmth, for a bed just for a night. I'm not proud of what I am, and who I was. But you know.. when I met you I thought I had a chance to change all that. Because you saw the girl I was, even through all the stuff that had happened, I was a girl. And you saw that. But then.. you let someone talk you out of it, and I can't describe how much that hurt. To know the one person I put my hope into betrayed me that way." Berlin bit her lower lip. "I will prove the world wrong. I will. I will not let anyone.. take me down again. I'm making a name for myself, a life for myself. That's what I'm concentrating on right now." she whispered. Back to Top   connor Guest [send pm] Joined: January 1970 Posts: 0 Return from a long trip « Sept 5, 2009 22:22:52 GMT -6 » Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top He could hear her shift and move. She was heading to the window, and made a declaration of how he had made her feel. He might as well have been hit in the gut. He felt a pain there, and he even winced a bit. He never meant to hurt anyone. He was the good guy. He was supposed to protect people. To keep them from being hurt. But, he had done her a great wrong, and he wished he could do something to make it up to her. He knew that moment had long since passed. She told him how she would prove the world wrong. How she was more than what anyone saw. What he had seen in her, as he could see past the dirt and street. He nodded. He still saw that girl in her. That much hand changed. He had been put in the middle between his mentor and his girlfriend, and he had lost both. That was the path he had to walk. "Berlin..." He hoped his words would reach her. "I... still see that girl. I don't know if you believe me. If I were you, I'd be hard pressed to listen to anything I had to say. But, I did see past all that. And I still do. You are strong, and resourceful. You don't need to prove yourself to anyone." He gave her another weak smile. He was trying. Hey, at least she didn't hate him. That was a plus, right? Connor was still debating whether or not it was better or worse than her 'not knowing him.' A lesser of two evils. "I hope that at some point, I can prove to at least still be worth calling a friend." His face showed he didn't look hopeful about that. At least, he didn't think it was possible. He wondered what had happened during the time he was gone. Part of him wondered if she had found someone else. Maybe the boy she was hanging out with tonight? Maybe a different guy? The thought hurt, but at least he could understand. Suichi may have been right about Connor not being ready. If he was able to make such a stupid decision like what he had pulled before the waste of a trip, then he wasn't ready. The last thing he wanted was to cause anyone anymore pain. "I hope... maybe... when you want to... we could talk again." He couldn't bring himself to face her. Blind or not, he just couldn't do it. The boy she had met was there, in the room with her. His energy, his kindness. But, he had not only put her through hell, he had also gone through it himself. It read all over his face. It didn't change anything, but at least she might know he was being sincere. If he could go back, change everything, he would. He would fight harder against Suichi, stand up for her instead of backing down and tucking his tail like a wounded pup. He couldn't do that, and they both knew it. Right now, he was simply praying for a chance to build anew, and hopefully they could move on past this. Who are you kidding. You should just be thankful she allowed you to speak. You didn't even deserve that much. Back to Top   Reply Share Thread Facebook Twitter Tumblr LinkedIn MySpace Email Go to Previous Thread Next Thread Please make a selection first