0.07 Academics

Day 1 of school. Dustin is nervous, 'Drea' is excited. There's no way to run from anything anymore, they have to move forward. He doesn't want her to have an episode in class, but he doesn't tell her that. He's not sure she even knows when she's having one.

Meghan manages to make Dustin even more nervous by immediately accepting an offer to study at a classmate's house after school. That classmate is a boy.

He calmly tells Edvin Oss-Valquist where he can go for his 'study time'.

"You're cousin's funny." Edvin remarks. "Ready to go, Drea?"

His prep school speech is ignored and Meghan is mad at him again. Not his day. She leaves to visit Edwin's house.

Meghan doesn't understand what upset him, but normal kids in school normally study at each other's houses after school, so she's going no matter what. Besides, Edvin has a crazy high homework stat, so she knows she's going to learn a thing or two.

Pretty sure that she'll have no idea how to get back to his cousin's place after school, he decides to wait for her to come back, and plops unceremoniously down on the pavement to do his homework where everyone can see how he feels about this recent development.

“You sure you're cool with this?” Edvin asks on the bus on the way back to his place. She perches on the edge of her seat and nods once, feeling nervous but excited.

“Lead the way,” She tells him, and he smiles at her. His hat looks pretty good on him, she thinks, trying not to worry about leaving Dustin behind. She might make a second friend today if everything goes well.

Eugene celebrates the kids being out of the house by pouring a couple more ounces off the keg and drinking by himself. He used to party a lot back in college, and it makes him miss his frat buddies. His wife would rather stay inside and read a book, after all.

Meghan feels like she messed something up though when her new friend retreats upstairs without a word, leaving her standing alone in the kitchen. She settles down to work on homework and try not to imagine that the mangy- mutt of the house is going to scratch her and give her typhoid fever or something.

Edvin never comes back downstairs. Baffling, maybe he had to go to the bathroom and he fell in.

Meghan does get to meet his mom Josefin and her first impression is that he has a caring mother who can isn't afraid of anything (plus, a researcher doing something scientific!). It makes a great impression.

Until she goes and does this. Dustin would love her.

Freaked out, Meghan leaves and decides to finish up her homework back at the Sparrow place, which as it turns out is right across the street from the Oss'. Nobody bothers to see her to the door on the way out.

Three hours later Dustin gets a call and Eugene confirms that Meghan made it safely back (also where the hell are you at?). He was reading back at the school library, just in case.

After having a little time to reflect on it, he knows he overreacted earlier. It's just, it can't be wrong to be concerned for her, so he tries to put it out of his mind. It was his choice to wait here, after all. He'll head back home when he's ready to. He's... totally not sulking about it.

Neither one of them say much of anything to each other...for the rest of the night.

The morning is equally awkward (and not only because Lize keeps forgetting to dress like other people are in the house). Dustin feels like he's either holding Meghan back or she'll get in over her head and because she's being stubborn and so is he, he can't bring himself to say anything about it. He hates feeling ditched, but more than that it bothers hims that he was bothered by it in the first place.

It would make more sense if he could just be happy for her, it's not easy trying to make friends in a new place.

He breaks the ice and asks her if she had any questions on the lessons from yesterday. She did: so they work through the last few problems on the homework together.

It's surreal. Just a month ago they were working together to figure out where their next meal was going to come from and talking about everything, now he's unsure how to even start a conversation. They'd never really argued so maybe they're just inexperienced at solving misunderstandings?

He doesn't say anything when she decides to wear whatever she wants to class that morning, but he resolves to deck the first kid who makes a negative comment about her lack of shoes. Which she probably won't appreciate, but oh well in advance.

Time passes, and despite all concerns, they settle in.

The cookbook, Eugene, the cookbook! Use. The cookbook! You're supposed to be smart!

Poor guy just wanted his wife not to have to worry about chores like dinner for once so she can get off her now pregnant feet.

 ...Who are you talking to? Maybe Meghan's lackadaisical habit of saying everything she thinks out loud is rubbing off on the rest of the household. He misses Lize's cooking right about now though, but he's not going to bother her. There's a pint of ice cream in the freezer with his name on it.

School is interesting though and a lot happens. Dustin, wanting to give his friend space, decides to sign up for shop class, and later on a sports club. She gets help with homework at her after school study club and eventually gets up the courage to join others in debate.

There are field trips peppered with nagging moral lessons...

Freak outs...

Even unlikely friendships. Turns out Edvin's a pretty nice guy, Dustin admits begrudgingly. He graduates soon though so he'll be out of Dustin's hair. And he has a girlfriend too, so it's not like he was interested in "Drea" that way in the first place.

Dustin puts what he's learning in shop to good use, he's always been good with his hands so it becomes a quiet hobby, improving things for his cousin's family now that there's a baby on the way. It feels like one of the few ways he can repay them for being so generous.

There's an overall feeling of excitement in the air. Meghan wonders if her parents were so excited to have her, or if their baby wasn't normal, would Gene and Lize still be so happy? She hopes the everything will go well, and is probably more worried about it than either of the soon-to-be-parents.

Dustin sees her stress and takes her out to the park for some hotdogs, kinda like old times. They make up, but it's not as if they were fighting.

“I just want you to know that I'm still here for you,” He tells her, taking her hands. “I'm not trying to ignore you, it just seemed like you could use some space...” His words trail off in uncertainty. He has no idea if space is what she needs or not.

“Thanks. School's been... a lot of fun. I mean there are people who I don't like, and people I like. But mostly I'm just glad I can keep up, you know? It means a lot to me that you stayed, I was really worried I'd be by myself again.”

“I'll be here.” He says again. "Don't worry about it, okay?"

They do all of their homework together, after that.

And old habits die hard.

Seriously you guys, what the heck...? Weirdly none of their classmates care that they sometimes get the urge to live like hobos on the street.

The next morning before school Dustin explains again how unbelievable it is that Meghan does so well academically. “Not that I'm saying it's weird because she can't do it, I just think it's amazing! She has an opportunity to captain the debate club, for a Sophomore that's unheard of! Think of all the smart prep school kids that she's making feel pretty stupid about now, that a 'home-schooled' kid is showing them up and excelling like this.”

“Are you the prep school kid in this scenario?”

Dustin laughs. “More like me and half our class, she's just brilliant and even the teachers don't know how to handle the way she asks questions. So many people look up to her now and she has no clue about it.”

Eugene gets to the heart of the matter pretty quickly. “It's obvious you really like her Dustin, why don't you make a move?”

“On my cousin?” He feigns horror. "What would our grandma Jeanette say?!"

Gene rolls his eyes at the feeble dodge. “It's not like you to overthink things like this. If you like her, just tell her that. If you think she's doing well, tell her that, too. She could probably use the encouragement.”

Dustin sighs, leveling with him. “I know... I know! I do like her. She just... she's different from everyone else, both more fragile, and stronger. I don't think she needs me around sometimes and then it seems like we're really close again. It's so confusing. And with what she went through I just don't know what she wants. We're close as friends, best friends even, but ...I want more and that seems so unfair. She's just experiencing so much for the first time it's not right to put pressure on her like that. I mean, what if it makes her uncomfortable and she becomes unhappy staying here, what would she do then?!”

Eugene smiles into his juice. “You're still overthinking it. You just need to ask her and see what she says, right?” He claps his cousin on the shoulder. “Good luck, I'm in your corner.”

“Thanks.” Dustin mumbles, wishing it were that easy. He had no intention of saying anything to Meghan though, it was hard to think of telling her his feelings. Impossible, really. What if she felt like she HAD to say yes, because of what he had done for her? Knowing that he was overthinking things didn't make him feel any better about it. “I'm just going to focus on my studies for a while.” He reasons.

____________________________________________________________________________

Right. So everybody's doing well, and despite Dustin's casual nature there's somebody he wants to take seriously. Having never been serious before in his life, he's got a long way to go to figure himself out.

As for Meghan, she's pretty preoccupied with everything that she's learning so Dustin's correct in thinking it's too early to ask her out or whatever. Hopefully for his sake he doesn't wait too long though!

0.06 Arrivals

She's talking about weather. She likes her haircut which is already cooler and makes her more comfortable. She's curious about the town, how so many different types of people are in the same place. The excitement dances in her eyes and he just listens, entranced by it. Such mundane things excite her.

It takes a turn, she openly wonders who's coming for them. There must be someone, is it a good idea to run all over town like this?

The newsstands don't carry a Twinbrook Times here in Mayfield Springs, they should be alright for a while. And actually with all the different kinds of people they've already met it seems like a couple of kids don't really draw any attention. He's able to sooth her concern away.

The conversation is still upbeat. Maybe he should get a haircut, she criticizes lightly. He stands out too much, she can pick him out of a crowd so easily. He shouldn't be, but he feels flattered. Of course they notice each other, they're looking out for each other, he says.

“I'm so glad you aren't dead.” She tells him abruptly, killing the mood.

“So am... I?” He responds awkwardly. He never knows exactly where her mind is at.

They decide to avoid the fair after that, and they're already through the center of town so they won't be going backwards. The subways system is affordable and helps them find a small park to rest at for the night. He uses the sleeping bag first, she uses park facilities. There are guides here about charting stars, the feeling of finding one is amazing. The world is so much bigger than she'd ever imagined.

In the morning she rests and he paints, they're still looking out for each other. His artwork is terrible, he has no idea why anyone would want to do this professionally, but it passes the time.

They get back on the road, almost to the edge of town now.

They stop and rest and discuss the future, but so far nothing is appealing. He says they have time, he thinks she can get ahead pretty quickly because she's a fast learner. It bothers her that she didn't know what she wants to do.

"You could always be a camp counselor, teach kids how to fish or something."

"But wouldn't I have to know how to fish?"

"Nah, Fake it til you make it."

"Wouldn't it be noticeable when I starve to death because I can't catch anything?"

"Nah. I'll bring you lunch or something."

She captures a beetle, and is fascinated watching it. Her desire to learn about the world is helping her forget the past, although she knows she's blocked most things out. Some days in the shed went by too slowly, some barely seemed to happen at all. Not that she had a window to tell time by. How long is a day... to the beetle? She keeps it.

The presence of people comfort her in a way, she doesn't recognize their voices and it's nice. She starts to wonder if she won't be able to put the weirdness of her childhood behind her, after all.

Nearly a week later, Dustin and Meghan arrive in Aurora Springs. The last of their money for travel had been spent on breakfast, Dustin's cousin had gotten them a cab into town. They quietly hold hands, thinking about the future, admiring the beautiful landscape.

The house is charming in a northern, somehow beachy way. “I hope you know you'll be safe here.” He tells her, “My cousin is a good person, even though he can be kind of a smartass sometimes.”

“And you'll... stay with me?” She asks, not for the first time. He doesn't know why she keeps asking that. Was she really so worried he was going to leave her behind, with strangers? 

“Ill stay with you,” He confirms again.

“Then I know I'll be safe.” She replies.

Dustin's older cousin comes out to greet them. He gives the two friends a knowing look when he sees how closely they interact.

“You left out the part about your friend being a girl.” He says, smiling conspiratorially.

“A minor detail.” Dustin sidesteps the teasing. “Have my parents called you? I'm sure they're worried but-”

“Yeah they did. But don't worry, I didn't tell them anything about you coming up here to stay for a while. I know you're the responsible type, so you wouldn't need to be here without having a good reason to.” He looked at Meghan “She's not pregnant or anything, right?”

“Dude, we're like fifteen!” Dustin sputters.

“Yeah I know.” His cousin shrugs.

Meghan thinks he's funny.

A moment later Eugene's wife Lize breezes over and starts rambling, trying to make Meghan feel as welcome as possible. “I have a huge library, I hope you'll read everything! Do you know what you'd like to learn the most about, in school?”

“Science!” Meghan says with excitement. The little taste of knowledge she got while traveling here from the south has only increased her need to understand the world. She wants to learn everything. Going to school would be a dream come true for her. She was used to hearing how stupid she was, how impossible it would be for her to go, how far behind she'd be if she ever tried to go. She's going to work hard to prove herself.

They spend the rest of the summer at the Sparrow place (well Dustin's last name is Sparrow too so whatever). Meghan reads a lot of books and Lize brings her placement tests and helps her with reading comprehension. Lize can't wait to have her own children and is happy to be of help.

Eugene offers to do some research on Meghan's father when he gets spare time from work. He's a journalist, so if anyone can track down the man's whereabouts it would be him. Not that there are plans to contact him. He tells her that knowledge is power, but has a hard time finding out anything.

Dustin and Meghan will start school in the fall, Meghan changes her name on the application to be safe. The school apparently doesn't take part in the amber alert system, so they have no idea about the kid's runaway status, or that Dustin has family other than Eugene and Lize. Meghan calls herself Drea Sparrow, says it's short for Andrea. Drea and Dustin are now supposed to be cousins.

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Alright, Aurora Skies! (which is still not where the challenge begins yet lmao) Eugene is socially awkward, Lize is nurturing. Meghan is not pregnant.

I can reveal Meghan's job roll, which is Freelance Scientist. She discovered a few stars already on the way to Eugene & Lize's place, so I'm counting that money and counting the food they ate against them on their journey up north.

The Amber Alert system is some non-working garbage about finding lost children that I have no confidence in as an American. For example when two parents are fighting over custody and one of the skips out of state with their child and makes a run for it, the amber alert system sends out licence plates info and names over the radio and on digital bilboards. Given that it's used for family dispute type disappearances this annoys me, because plenty of children are legitimately missing with no connection to family. That, and some of the people who work there are creepy. I wouldn't report a kid to them if I found one lost. I'd take the kid to a church or something first.

Also, I hope the pace of the story is okay so far, I know they've just been wondering around for a while.

-The Frog