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449 words
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Better Than Me
Everyone is better than me, I think
Ten years flew by for Caleb, it felt like. He'd been part of the academy the whole time, only going back before Nora had manifested and his parents had moved out to Stagfort. He didn't mind Oregon, he didn't even mind staying at the Academy even if his sixteen year old sister hated every minute. A reunion didn't really bother him, he didn't look much different than he did then. Thanks in large part to his ability giving him flawless looks and pretty sizable muscles. He was doing what he had told everyone he planned on doing. Trainer, self-defense instructor, total chick magnet...okay maybe not everything.
He still had his awkward spasticness to deal with.
Caleb had dressed decently, button-up, dark jeans and a white t-shirt underneath. Nora had told him that if he had any hope of attracting a lady, he would need to dress like someone who wasn't full of themselves, but also low-key was. As if he would actually understand her teenage girl speak. But he'd let her dress him and went with it. As long as she didn't put him in a suit, he figured he was okay.
The school looked ridiculous, but kind of fun. They were all basically nineties babies, to think that Nora would be twenty in the 2020s was terrifying. He rubbed the back of his neck as he entered the main area. It wasn't looking very good for him. All of his friends were there, sure, but it wasn't like he could just stick to them the whole time. His sister would never let him hear the end of it. So he looked at his options. There were the girls that had been attracted to him shortly after he hit his growth spurt and there were the ones that still hadn't even noticed him. But what he really was surprised by was the one that he could hardly recognize standing by the punch bowl.
Picking his poison, he decided she was the lesser of the three evils in front of him. He chewed his lower lip as he grabbed a cup and he thought of how to approach the situation. Girls didn't really like when guys commented on their appearance in a negative connotation, he knew that, but how did he say that she looked good without it sounding like she didn't before? Caleb glanced at her and in his most pretentious, ridiculous British accent, he spoke, "Turn to page 394." With a snort he coughed and laughed again, "Uh Potter, right? Clarke?"
Look what you've done, now I'm a mess
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MISS
"A wise woman once said, 'Mm better not' and that woman...is Fat Patricia...er Amy." |
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Mm Girl, you so fly out of TEN
"Such a pretty and pinchable face!" |
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 "I'm a little offended, I work these jeans thank you very much!" PB: Ryan Kelley |
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Caleb Joseph Parker
FACE CLAIM: Ryan Kelley♦ THE BASICS ♦
AGE: 28
GENDER: Male
ORIENTATION: Heterosexual
POSITION: Trainer - Self-defense Instructor
♦ THE ABILITY ♦
POWER: Accelerated Healing/Regeneration
The ability to heal at an accelerated rate from an external injury by recreating damaged or lost tissue and also accelerating the process of hemoglobin into other chemicals.
LIMITATIONS:
-This ability only pertains to external injuries such as burns, cuts, scrapes, bruises
-This ability does not work to reattach lost limbs or grow back new ones, nor can it fix broken bones.
-While they are constantly brought to a healthy state by their body's sense to heal itself, they are not immune to illness or disease, it is just more rare for them to come down with it.
-While the healing is accelerated, it usually takes up to a day for the injury to be completely gone, unless the injury is more severe in which case it can take as long as a week for reconstruction.
SIDE-EFFECTS:
-Typically in very good shape
-Can appear a little younger
-Exhaustion after a bout of severe regeneration
-Can often be affected by vitamin deficiency and mineral deficiency if not taken care of
-Easily dehydrated, usually has to drink twice as much water as most people do
-Requires a solid, uninterrupted 8 hours of sleep for regeneration to work efficiently
♦ THE FREEFORM ♦
2004
Dearest Nugget,
Mom and Pop told me that they're taking you home in a few days, and I'm PUMPED to hear it. Maybe they'll come pick me up and I can see you. It's strange, being away from you guys all the time. I'm not sure I'm finding this school to be much fun. Sure, having some mega-awesome-crazy superpower should be cool, but my roommates think I'm a freak among freaks, the teachers just wish I'd stop being a distraction (because apparently people throwing things at me means I'M the distraction), and no one appreciates my humor the way that you do.
Give it a go, they said. It'll be fun, they said. Well, clearly our parents had much different experiences than I'm having, Nugget. I've only been here a month and already, I miss home. I swear, I'd still be there if that FRICKEN FRICKER hadn't pushed me on the black top and ya know, if I hadn't landed face first. Sorry, I didn't meant to use that kind of language with you, hopefully Mom or Dad will decide to leave that little bit out when they read this to you. But fourteen year olds are vicious I tell you! Even to their own kind!
//Shoot, they're totally gonna see this too! Lemme just scribble that word out. Uh...huh. Boom!//
Anyway, for real tho! If I hadn't been bullied, I wouldn't have gotten hurt, my super freaky-deaky ability wouldn't have kicked into high-gear and I'd have been there when you got sick. I really wish I could have been there... I promise I'll make it up to you Nugget. Just remember, if Mom and Dad argue with the idea of me coming home for a bit, we're gonna go with Plan A...remember Plan A? The one where you scream until they have to let me come back. Capiche?
Welp, til later then! Love you, Nora. Be good to the Golden Oldies. Heh, just kidding guys!
-Caleb
2005
Dearest Nugget,
My uh...my roommates saw one of my letters started to you. They thought I was writing a love letter to a chicken nugget. They found it profound, the adoration I had for this...chicken nugget. So I wrote a poem about a chicken nugget just to mess with them. I'd share it with you, but they wadded it up, tossed it at me and called me a bad name that I shall not repeat! ....while Mom and Dad still have to read these to you 
School is getting better, though I'm getting really sick of people looking at me like I'm...I dunno, different? We're all mutants for crying out loud, why is being outgoing and colorful so bad? On the upside, I'm doing better in class and I've grown accustomed to the campus so I don't get lost anymore. Still miss home though. Still miss you.
I'll be back for your birthday, Nugget. I pinkie promise.
Love you, guys. Til next time! Don't have too much fun without me!
-Caleb
2008
Nugget! Er...sorry, 'Nora,'
But, like, no, really, Nugget! I'm almost free! Graduation is coming up, I'm getting prepped for training to become...heh...a trainer, and I offered to be the assistant instructor for our self-defense class since I'm excelling, for obvious reasons #jiujitsumastahsincethewomb. School is almost out, I'm gonna be taking college courses here while I also learn the ropes to being a trainer and then BOOM, I'll be an 'Academy Official.' Fancy title, right? Who'd have thunk it. Me? Staying in Montana? Wuttttt.
I heard you've got a boyfriend >.> I don't like it. You're like eight. Dem boyz best be keepin dey hands to demselves. Oh fuck, that was so bad. Shit. Sorry. Do as I say, not as I do. Seriously, burn this note as soon as you read it! Mom will fkn kill me if she finds out I swore in a letter to you. AND DO NOT REPEAT THEM. Not till you're twelve or so, k?
For the last time, no, no, no, no, no. I do not have a girlfriend yet. I haven't been really looking and the only girls that even seem kind of interested are only interested now because I finally bulked up. The same girls that have been here the whole time that I have, know what I looked like before and they had no feelings for me way back then. I'll find someone when I'm good and ready, okay? Stop worrying. Love is an open door!
-Caleb
2013
"She hit you, didn't she?"
"Nora..."
"That song you showed me, it's not a love song Caleb. Was that how you were trying to tell me? That she's the girl in the song."
"I showed you the song because it's a good song, Nor. You're...you're reading way too much into this."
"No. Don't do that. Don't just make it seem like I'm overreacting! You're not one to be keen on just the flow of music, you listen to the words. And the words 'Open hand or closed fist would be fine' does not sound like he's discussing hand holding!"
"Nora...please. You've got to calm down."
"Why didn't you hit her back?"
"Nora! Stop!"
"I just want you to be honest with me, Caleb. And with yourself. I haven't said anything to Mom or Dad, and I won't if you just tell me what's going on. That bruise on your cheek, it's not because of class is it? It's from her?"
"Look, okay, yes. She hit me, and I didn't hit her back for obvious reasons."
"So, what, you help instruct a self-defense class, but you won't even defend YOURSELF?"
"Think about it, Nora. Do you know what it would look like if she turned it around? Making it out that I was hitting her? And she was defending herself? It'd ruin my life. No one would believe that I was being abused because of the way our society works. And I'm not even upset about that, I wouldn't hit her anyway because she's a girl and it's wrong."
"Okay, fine. Why are you still with her? She's awful to you! And don't tell me it's because you love her, Caleb. It's no excuse to let her treat you this way."
"But I do, Nora. I do love her."
"No, you don't. And she doesn't love you. You have to break up with her Caleb. You have to."
"How old are you again?"
"Twelve?"
"How'd you get to be smarter than me?"
2014
"Hello?"
"NUGGGGGETTTT!"
"Ohmygod, Caleb! With the Nugget thing!"
"What? It's been your nickname since BIRTH, get used to it. Or I'll add to it, muahahaha!"
"You're such a child, what do you want, Caleb?"
"Tone back the 'tude, ya preteen princess. I just was calling to talk to you. It's what brothers do when they love they're heartless, mean, EMOTIONALLY CHALLE-"
"Caleb!"
"How's life? Got a boyfriend? Is it time for me to teach you about the birds and the bees? And self-defense? All wrapped up in one horribly awkward, slightly comical, but mostly scarring sex-ed convo? Oh hey, we're getting redirected by the way. To Oregon."
"You are deranged. I don't have a boyfriend. I don't want the sex talk from a virgin, plus I already learned about it in health class. Oregon? Oh wait, yeah, I saw something about that. Is there anything else?"
"Do you miss me at all?"
"...Of course I miss you, Cookie. So much. Come visit soon, okay, before you leave?"
"I will, Princess Nuggs."
"Loser."
"Love you too, Fudge Nugget."
"Kbye!"
2015
"Hello?"
"Cookie!"
"Nugget...what's going on? Are you okay?"
"Something happened and...and I don't know what to do."
"Nora, what happened? Are mom and dad okay?"
"Yes...yeah...I just...Caleb, I'm scared."
"Where are you? Tell me what's going on!"
"I think I'm like you...but...but it's not what you have."
"Nora, what happened?"
"I have to go."
"Nor-...Fuck!"
2018
"Caleb, you can't just come to my dorm room and barge in just because you're an academy official! How many times have I told you, I'm sixteen years old, you've got to stop treating me like I'm a kid!"
"Uh excuse me, you just said so yourself, you're sixteen years old. That ain't adulthood Nugget, that's prime stupid time. Not just for you."
"I'm not being stupid, I'm in my dorm room with my roommates. And would you stop calling me that!"
"You're in your dorm with your roommates when you should be IN CLASS. I know your schedule, Nora and I'm not letting you do this. Now get your bag and get your butt out that door before I throw you over my shoulder and carry you out."
"Fine!"
♦ THE PLAYER ♦
USERNAME: Trix/Bee/Bro/Dude
AGE GROUP: 22
EXPERIENCE: Er...ten years I do believe
WHERE DID YOU FIND US? MelMel
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