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Post by Markise Sterling on May 17, 2009 17:02:30 GMT -5
Markise's brows drew tightly together as his eyes met Ariel's. Then he looked away, trying to find words again. "I told you... I care what happens to you," he said. "I can help..." There was more, but Markise didn't want to look at that. He didn't want to look at the sudden fear of not seeing Ariel again. Why had it been fine before? I thought he was going to die. Maybe if he'd left when Ariel was going to be okay, he could have pretended that Ariel would just be okay.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on May 17, 2009 17:12:04 GMT -5
Ariel searched Markise's face, but it was so strange trying to read the girl's face instead of what he was used to seeing. "But...you don't move someone to New York just to help...or because you care about what happens to them." At least, no one he had ever met would do something like that, and he couldn't imagine Markise even caring once he was better and could support himself.
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Post by Markise Sterling on May 17, 2009 17:18:08 GMT -5
I was half in love with you! Markise didn't remember saying it, but he felt it and was struggling not to let it out. "If you stay, it'll be too much temptation. If you want to get... clean, if you want to stop, being around it all isn't going to help." Please don't keep pushing, please don't make me say things I haven't even thought about. Markise pushed lightly at the blonde hair hanging around his face and worked not to start pacing. He diverted nervous energy to the gum in his mouth instead.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on May 17, 2009 17:25:12 GMT -5
"Why are you spending so much money on me? Yesterday you just wanted me to get out of the way!" Ariel wanted it, yes he wanted it badly, but that didn't mean he wasn't confused. He didn't want Markise to do all of this for him just to turn around the week after and say he hated him again. "Why are you willing to do so much for me?"
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Post by Markise Sterling on May 17, 2009 17:30:07 GMT -5
"Yesterday there wasn't a chance!" Markise shot back. He heard himself too late and doubled the attack on that blonde curl as he turned half away from Ariel, trying to think of how he could fix this, how he could explain. "Yesterday you didn't want my help," he said, his voice softer now, but with just as much energy bubbling below the surface. "Yesterday there wasn't anything I could do to stop you." Why are you willing to do so much for me? He didn't want to answer that. He didn't even want to acknowledge that there was an answer.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on May 17, 2009 17:53:06 GMT -5
Ariel looked at Markise, confused, "I came to you because I wanted your help!" he insisted. He could have wandered into the Leakey Cauldron begging for a night's rest. He could have tried to figure out a way back to school. Not that any of his options had been very...practical, but he really had wanted help from Markise.
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Post by Markise Sterling on May 17, 2009 18:08:20 GMT -5
"And as soon as I realized you were hurt, I called a Healer," Markise countered. "You sent him away, I did what I could." And when Ariel had finally said yes, Markise had wasted no time bringing him here. He'd done everything he could think of to get Ariel help without getting him arrested, without his brother showing up. He'd tried.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on May 17, 2009 18:15:45 GMT -5
Ariel closed his mouth and looked away. He was going to lose the argument, felt like he already had, so he didn't continue it. "Are you serious....about New York?" he asked finally. He couldn't imagine going to New York. It was impossible to imagine. And, even though he no longer had his brother to impress, he didn't want to leave school early.
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Post by Markise Sterling on May 17, 2009 18:26:42 GMT -5
Markise nodded, though it took him a while to be able to speak. Everything would be different if he was taking Ariel with him. There was so much that could go wrong. What if Ariel did it again? They'd be trapped together. Would his parent's let him come back if he did something like that? Was there any way he could keep it from them? How would he ever replace all the money it would take?
"If you want to try again..." Markise began. He didn't mean them, he meant Ariel. He meant someplace where he wouldn't have the connections to be able to do it again, where he'd have to work to do it again. But he knew that if it happened, there would be no way they wouldn't end up trying again.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on May 17, 2009 18:31:35 GMT -5
Ariel looked up at that, though his mind immediately took it a way he quickly realized couldn't be what Markise meant. "I want to finish school," he said softly. He had always wanted to finish school. There hadn't been much hope for a future for him, but that was one thing he could do for himself. If he moved to New York...especially if he got a good job, would he have any incentive to finish? But he wanted to.
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Post by Markise Sterling on May 17, 2009 18:42:17 GMT -5
Markise looked over at Ariel, that thought giving him pause. He hadn't even considered school. His eyes unfocused as he searched his tired mind for another answer, anything that would help. His parents wouldn't let him transfer again now that he was legal. They'd let him finish at Hogwarts or his dad would cut him off. Markise's eyes focused on Ariel again. "For the summer, then," he suggested. "We'll go after finals and we won't come back til we have to." That would give Ariel a chance, right? Maybe it would be easier not to go back if he had a few months to get used to it.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on May 17, 2009 18:52:29 GMT -5
Ariel paused and considered before he even thought about replying. It answered everything, but it would leave him owing Markise a lot of money, especially if he wasn't able to start paying back while they were there for the summer. And he would get to finish school. Finally, he nodded slowly. "Are you sure?"
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Post by Markise Sterling on May 17, 2009 18:58:57 GMT -5
Markise looked at Ariel as he nodded. "I'm sure," he said. It was terrifying, but the more he thought about it, the less he could imagine doing anything else. He'd let Dare go and god he'd regretted it. He knew he'd regret letting this end when there was a chance. He needed to write his mom, tell her that he wouldn't be coming home this summer. He'd tell her he needed a cheap apartment. He wouldn't mention Ariel.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on May 17, 2009 19:09:14 GMT -5
Ariel searched Markise's eyes for a few more moments before he nodded again, more decisively. "If you're sure, then I'll do it." He couldn't think of anything else to bring up, no more questions or objections came to mind. The end of the decision making also brought an end to the distraction from everything that was still happening to his body. He closed his eyes and rested his head on his knees.
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Post by Markise Sterling on May 17, 2009 19:16:35 GMT -5
Markise's fingers stopped torturing and resumed twirling around that lock of hair now. He looked at Ariel, trying to put together all the different sides of him he'd seen and trying to understand even one of them. "So like, what about until summer?" he asked softly. There were a matter of weeks left, but that was more than enough time for everything to fall apart again. Markise thought back to how he and Michael had kept Dare from getting hold of potions again, but would Ariel accept that?
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