ONCE BURNED was made by MEL. Copying, altering, or stealing any of the site's content is prohibited. All of ONCE BURNED's characters are the original work of their owners and may not be replicated or stolen. All images and graphics belong to their rightful owners and ONCE BURNED does not claim to own any of them.
There was something positive in the way Isaac spoke about his studies. At least he didn't hate it. And even better for that, he found it to be an important part of what he was hoping to achieve. He was right in a way; training in every field must have been important.
Had she been their mother, she would have started in on how it wasn't the best choice to make a living off. Thankfully, she didn't share the view.
"Come on," Grace tried then, a grin to her lips as she kicked him with her foot lightly, "You gotta be writing something at the moment. What is it?"
Despite how some may have seen Isaac, there was something very obvious about how much he cared. At least, it seemed that way to Grace. Would any of the people he knew really believe he'd stick around just for his sister? She doubted it. His reputation preceded him so easily.
"Points." She repeated the word he used. She wasn't really the creative type, and he obviously knew that, but it all sounded so stifling.
"Oh well that depends on what kind of flame." Grace mused, like he really meant the question; "Sometimes water just makes it worse, and then all those firefighting for dummies classes just end up being a waste."
And with that, she was pretty sure she'd snuffed the counter out. That wasn't what she wanted to talk about. She wasn't done with him yet; "But I'm serious about you. How important is a college degree to writing like, a book? Do you feel like you learn a lot?" Grace had never read his work, but she automatically assumed he was naturally good at whatever he wanted to do.
For Grace, the idea of college felt so striking in a negative way. She'd never liked school to begin with, but to do it all over again when it was a free choice felt like a total killer. For him, he didn't have a choice. That's what there was in the line he pursued. Or so he seemed to think.
"When you didn't come home, I figured you were sticking around for something good." She admitted, shrugging her shoulders. Easing down, she moved to sit against the grass, leaning back to let the back of her head hit it a second later.
"How do they even teach you how to write?" She tried anyway, arms swinging underneath her head, "Don't you just do it?"
It was nice for a change that someone seemed to accept and care about what she wanted. Kinder eyes turned their gaze on him at the remark he made. Grace hadn't been in town all that long, but everyone she'd met who knew him barely had anything nice to say. She was beginning to chalk all the talk up to bitter people over it being an accurate layout of his actions and attitude.
"What about you, though?" She had to ask, watching him with curiosity; "Is college just like you always pictured it would be?" Personally, she was incredibly glad she never went. It was never something that went down particularly well at home, but she'd never been one to fit the family plan anyway.
That shrug looked like his way of easing effortlessly out of delving further into the conversation he started. Maybe he didn't know the answer, or maybe Grace's swinging attempt at pretending to sound like their mother had uncovered some harsh truths for him. She was good like that.
Eyes searched out at all the idle people who wandered around this place. Nothing in particular was worth looking at, but the destination didn't matter.
"Hot." She retorted, and then she laughed. It wasn't an easy job to explain to anyone, so she offered the first word that popped into her head. "I got enough worrying phone calls from home in the last month to last a lifetime."
It was never easy getting to know a sibling who had a twin. They hadn't been the easiest pair to grow up with, if only because their connection and subsequent devotion to each other was absolute. Grace didn't blame them; how could she? They were kids, and then they were gone. But they never came back.
Hands in her pockets, she grinned as she looked towards him finally. The random thoughts that fluttered in and out of his head were still captivating, no matter how small. "They make a mess. You'll be bored of it in a week." She easily rattled off the excuses she remembered hearing when she was younger.
"Go on, then." Grace had never been good at not indulging in whatever the family wanted: "What's stopping you?"
When she was younger, it was always the same thing. The firstborn child of a pair of meta's assumed the bloodline would be enough to carry the gene from one to another. Then she was fourteen, and in high school. That was okay, she could just be a late bloomer.
Then she was sixteen, and Isaac and Mina were thirteen, and they were in Montana dealing with this crazy change to their lives. Change everyone had always planned for.
The dream of fitting into the perfect meta family faltered years ago, but that was the final dash.
Passionate from miles away Passive with the things you say
"Firefighting? Really? That's..."
"Ambitious? Brave?" Most girls dreamed of far different careers. She could see that in her mother's eyes; "Awesome?"
"Dangerous." Sharp words for a sharp reasoning. Of course it was dangerous.
Senior year of high school and she was no where near her twin siblings. It made for a lonely life to say the least. She was stuck with mom and dad and their worries and their consistent, overwhelming reassurance. It was totally okay that she didn't have special crazy powers. She sort of came to terms with that ages ago.
"You don't need to have superhero powers to be a super hero." Grace pointed out, like she'd managed to map her mother's way of thinking without her saying a word. She never really did say much. Not to them, anyway. Everything was clouded in a sea of assumptions and predictions.
"I mean, I can't stop you." It was the same tired line. She couldn't stop any of them from doing what she wanted, but she could certainly wish to control it every step of the way.
That's when they smile in my face Whole time they wanna take my place
"It's like you don't get that being normal's not enough anymore." Grace had to try and point out. Her parents didn't get it. They couldn't, really. They didn't understand. "The bar's totally raised for just about everything. You think it's hard for a majority of the other people who took the fire exam? Like there's not guys blitzing the usual record with awesome speed or hardcore strength? Come on."
"Grace-" Her father tried. It was like white noise these days.
"They literally told me not to try. They were like; are you sure? You're going up against some pretty tough competition." She laughed at the absurdity of the fresh memory, "It's not even a fucking competition!"
"I know it's hard, honey."
Waving her hand at his concern, she rolled back on her feet, intent to leave. She didn't really know why she thought there would be understanding here, "Anyway, I blitzed the record too. Thanks for asking."
Don't know what to do I'm in some kind of mood
Packing bags, her boyfriend at the time stood in the room they shared and watched, clearly dumbfounded at her news. She was leaving him. Not specifically, but she wanted to move to Oregon, and he'd learned months ago how headstrong she was.
"Because I just hate it here." She continued to explain, as if her siblings weren't enough of a reason to move there. Her parents certainly weren't a reason to stay in Malibu.
"What about-"
"Look, if I'm being honest," She looked over her shoulder as she shrugged. She knew what he was going to try before the words even left his mouth; "You're not worth staying for."
You're not here And we both know why, so
Williams. This girl was piecing the name together with a look she recognised. Grace knew what she was in for the second she saw recognition in those eyes. Realisation. A not-so-good revelation.
"I know your brother." That was a big thing now that she'd moved to Stagfort.
Fighting the urge to roll her eyes - and it was hard at this point - she leaned in towards her ear so she could hear her over the music. "Did you sleep with him?" She had to ask.
"No." Relief, except she wasn't done, "He's kind of a jerk, though."
Exhaling a heavy sigh, Grace reeled her arm back again, freeing herself from the girl she was almost tangled up with. "Yeah, well that's my brother, you fucking moron."
♦ THE PLAYER ♦
USERNAME: Eddie AGE GROUP: Twenty-Six EXPERIENCE: Ages WHERE DID YOU FIND US? QUEEN
