xp_logs | Family Portrait: Julio and Laurie

Julio runs into Laurie on the running track and he attempts to lend some comfort.

Laurie had taken the seclusion of the running track, and the earliness of the hour as an excuse to let go off some of the stress and sheer exhaustion she'd been feeling lately with a good round of primal scream therapy. It felt good, and if she was also crying while doing it, then who was going to be around to see her being less then her stalwart do or die cheerful self?

Unfortunately, that person happened to be Julio.

He was up doing his usual morning routine, when he saw a familiar flash of blonde hair. He never bothered people who were out running as the same time as him, as he tended to zone out when he was running. But this couldn't be ignored. Not with the fact that she was crying, and since he was downwind ...well, he couldn't exactly blame that on allergies.

"Ay, Laurie? Wait up!"

Crap, one of the few times she'd given in to the urge to let go and someone had to be out and about as well. It wasn't that she minded people seeing her cry, or even that she was unable to talk about what was happening. It was just that with how her mutation worked, the worse off she was emotionally the harder it was to keep it all under wraps.

"Hey Julio," she said, slowing down so he could catch up.

He would ask how she was doing, but it was pretty obvious. Julio tried to discreetly wipe his streaming eyes. "I am sorry, I do not have any tissues," he said lamely, patting his pockets. He titled his head her, unsure of how to proceed. He always sucked at what to do when a girl cried. Did you hug them? Threaten to beat somebody up? What?

"That's alright," Laurie replied, somewhat embarrassed at the effect she was having on the other student. Julio was not someone she imagined liked the idea of crying in front of anyone, let alone a girl. "I'm sorry, it's um...I didn't realise anyone else would be out here."

"That's fine," Julio said, wincing as his voice cracked. Julio could count on one hand the number of times he'd cried in the past two years, and most of them involved stubbing his toe. Still, it was okay, since a) this was Laurie and b) this wasn't his fault. He looked around, and seeing no one else around, he shrugged and on impulse slid an arm around the shorter girl's shoulders.

If it got worse at least there was no one else around.

Laurie tensed for a second and then forced her shoulders to relax, glancing sidelong at him as they walked. She was still slightly nervous about people touching her without warning after what had happened with Mr Haller but it was only tears, and those never really hurt anyone.

"I thought maybe if I got it all out here, I wouldn't be giving Yvette such a hard time. She's been getting pretty sharp, what with my stressing out and not having the greatest control in the world," Laurie explained, reaching up to wipe at her eyes.

"I think she understands, though," Julio said. He wiped his own eyes with the back of his sleeve again. "Everyone does, Laurie. What you are going through, it is hard, yes? People understand that you cannot be in control all of the time. It is okay to be upset, and to cry. No one will think less of you if you do. I do not."

"I'm just not used to it, I think," Laurie said, sniffling. "I'm used to having something to do, or some sort of solution. I hate how helpless I am right now, I couldn't even get my father to agree to help."

Julio didn't say anything for a few moments, just gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Sometimes, things happen that we cannot control, or undo, Laurie. You cannot fix everything. You just ...do the best you can. Everyday. As for your father, well.." Julio exhaled. "I have a driver's license now. Kyle is very big. We can go there, throw him in the trunk of the car?"

If she hadn't been so alarmed at the idea of her friends anywhere within distance of her father, she'd have smiled at the typically male macho response to conflict. Not that she wouldn't have enjoyed giving her father a knuckle sandwich right now herself.

"Much as I appreciate the sentiment, Julio. My father would probably have you both eating out of his hand the moment you tried to raise a hand to him. He's power is sort of like mine," she said, smiling anyway despite herself.

"Which means, we'll just have to wear gas masks. Only for you would I endure Kyle bitching about how he looks in a gas mask. Also, because our faces will be covered, less risk of being caught by the authorities, que no?" The smile was a good thing. If only now because Julio's nose was starting to run.

"What if he touches you though? What do you do then?" Laurie asked, enjoying the game of what if? She could feel her mood improving already. "Although, Kyle does look somewhat silly in a gas mask, it's all those hair tufts all over the place."

"Pfft, he cannot touch me," Julio stretched out his hands in front of him and waved them for emphasis. "I would like to see him get close enough to try. I shall send him through a brick wall. Although, if he were to try and make Kyle como se ... heel or something, that would be funny."

"That's horrible," Laurie replied, unable to prevent the snort that escaped, the idea of Kyle like that was in some parts horrifying and some parts funny. "Although, my father becoming acquainted with a brick wall I would pay to see."

Laurie looked up to notice that they were almost on the edge of the forest, just a short walk from the back of the house.

"See, not that Kyle would heel, because Kyle would just say something in Kyle-ese and then use a baseball bat on him or something. Then I send him through the brick wall. Then we give him to you, and possibly tie him up all nice and pretty so you can use him as a piñata." Julio gestured dismissively. He had no idea where they were going, he was content to let Laurie lead them. The improvement in her mood was noticeable and welcome, as he wiped the last of the tears from his eyes.

"Of course, there's just one problem with that," Laurie said, heading up toward the house, she knew for a fact that there was some left over gelato in the main kitchen and she was going to lay claim to it before anyone else could. "Wouldn't Mr Summers have something to say about it if you and Kyle suddenly turned up to sign out a car in full gas rig?"

"We hide the gas masks in the trunk, mieja," Julio said, amused. "The important part of pulling off anything is planning ahead. It is only wrong if we get caught." This was said with a decisive nod. Besides, Julio figured if they turned up with Laurie's son of a bitch father, many things would be overlooked. Like the whole kidnapping part.

"You'd need to leave late, so people didn't try to catch a lift with you," Laurie mused, opening the back door and gesturing for Julio to go before her.

Julio shook his head and held the door above Laurie's hand. Ladies always first. "We could always drop them off first, if they did. Besides, we would need back up anyway."

"Thanks," Laurie said, moving past Julio and into the house. She had no problem with people holding doors open for her, as long as it didn't get too silly. "So, what flavour of gelato do you think is left?"