{OPEN} Not Adding Up

[Hanna Rand]

Sitting in the room a the end of the hall, away from other student's rooms, Hanna was going through a few piles of clothes at had been left in the lost and found over the years. Having come to the school with not very much, she had been welcomed to look through the lost and found to help kit out her wardrobe. So far she had found three t-shirts that didn't have questionable stains on them and a pair of jeans that were a touch to baggy, but were not torn. She didn't understand what the appeal of torn jeans were in most of the students that she saw wandering the halls. It wasn't as though they looked good, and they certainly couldn't be very warm. Folding the clothes she found, she tucked them into a drawer, so the room would be kept as clean as she could manage it.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness.. Her mother's words rang clear through her head, as Hanna pulled at the blankets where she had been sitting, trying to smooth out the wrinkles she had caused. She didn't even think that if she saw the way some of the other bedrooms were kept, she would feel light headed. Searching through the cupboards and closets, she felt a little aprehensive about her testing later, as she looked for a broom to sweep the dust bunnies out of their hidden corners. Lost in her own world as she worked, Hanna couldn't imagine what would happen if she did not score on the intake exam. Sure, she knew her letters and her basic numbers. Enough to be able to sell produce at the market, but other then that, she knew almost nothing other then the teachings of the Church. The thought of the hot Texas sun so far away, and the fact that her brother would be getting the cows milked about now for their afternoon milking, caused a slight pang to hit her in the chest. Yet she bit her lip, startled when she heard rustling near the door.

[Zane Parsons]

Zane spun a flower in his hand, lugging his suitcase behind him towards Room 204. He figured that he'd at least put that in there and go explore the place. The trip over from Europe had not been altogether dull. Several persons lost their lunch to the disgust of the other passengers. Fortunately, the turmoil occurred a few rows away from where he was seated and his Armani suit was spared. Honestly, he wondered if lavish lifestyles were tolerated here. As soon as he got settled in, he would go to town and pick up a few regular items. His other suits wouldn't last forever.

Being underage, Zane was tied to the academy's dorms. Seeing as how he wasn't a girl, the female dorms were obviously out of the question. And he wasn't feeling inclined to spend more than the necessary amount of time around whatever pricks the boy's dorm held. His only remaining option was the co-ed dorms, and that meant he would have to go seek the first entrant of the desired room to find if they were comfortable with company. So far, he had stuck his nose in various doorways, only to be awarded by various paraphernalia being thrown at him.

"Must be a pretty plain girl to not be noticed here." Zane mused, heading towards the empty room at the far end, 205. He liked to venture into empty rooms and peer into whatever secrets they contained. Seeing as how the other empty room lacked interest, he wasn't very hopeful about this one. The door was slightly ajar, and he could pick up minute movements within the room. Pushing open the door slightly, he entered, eyes resting on the girl perched on a few blankets and sorting through slightly worn clothing. "There you are! I've been looking for you all over...well...not all over."

[Hanna Rand]

Eyes wide, Hanna stood with her hands folded on her lap, blinking as she felt the twitch of an unwanted appendage tell of her nervousness, hidden beneath the length of the sweater behind her. Why would this stranger be looking for her, had she done something wrong? Was she in the wrong room? As it currently was, he was a male, and she was a female and not allowed to be in the same room unchaperoned in her eyes.

"I'm sorry... Is this your room? I didn't know. I just wanted somewhere quiet to sort these out. And then it was dirty.. so I had to clean it. I didn't touch anything that was not mine, I promise." Hanna glanced up from her head bowed down, seeing the fancy suit on Zane. She was indeed the 'plain girl' that went unnoticed. No make up and no jewelry she could easily be mistaken for a boy if it weren't for her long hair and curves. Picking up the clothing she had piled neatly, Hanna stepped back further into the room, feeling as though a rabbit caught in a trap by a large dog.

"I am sorry Mr... I'll go back to my room. I thought no one lived in this one as of yet." After all, someone as finely dressed was either the devil himself or a teacher, she concluded in her mind. Pushing hair behind her ear, Hanna dared to look up once more, before blushing and looking down, only to notice his shoes were rather fancy as well, her own she could feel the hole in the side. It was obvious why they had been abandoned in the lost and found. After all, how did someone loose a pair of shoes?

[Zane Parsons]

Somehow, he was surprised at how plain the girl actually was. He was used to women wearing masks of beauty products and for some, the flaunting of cleavage or thigh skin. But this one was different. She had adorned herself in a long sweater that appeared to hide her body from goodness knows what. Her clothes were a tad shoddy, like she had just picked them up out of the lost and found. He also couldn't understand why she looked so nervous. It's not like he was holding a knife at her.

"Hey, no worries. This isn't my room. And why would I be scaring such a pretty girl away anyhow?" Zane attempted to reassure her. Of course, seeing as how she had reacted to his entering the room, it probably wouldn't be easy. What was easy these days? Zane's attention was drawn to the rose in his hand, and offered it to the girl. The most she could do is reject his friendly advances. And tell him to get lost. He was tempted to wonder if she was swinging for the other team.

"You're going back to your room? Brilliant. I needed someone to let me in, that is, if you're open to a roommate." Zane eyed the young lady, wondering if he could ever do anything for her. Or how old she was. If she didn't mind, he'd fund her some clothing. It was the least he could do for intruding on her privacy. After all, it's not like it would be a loss to him in any way.

[Hanna Rand]

Her face grew red and hot, eyes widening further at the fact that he had called her pretty. Being pretty went hand in hand with vanity, and that in itself was a sin according to so many teaching she had grown up with. She remembered once calling her father's third wife beautiful, and though they could not look in mirrors as it was not allowed, Hanna knew that Mother Sarah was prettier then she was, as Hanna looked more like her mother, who had grown bitter and twisted as she aged. Starting to lead Zane out of the room, she stopped dead, her face paling to match her washed out t-shirt. "Wh-What? Share a room? But... you're a boy!" She turned, shaking her head and nearly dropping the clothes in the hallway. Hanna could feel that her body was changing in response to the sudden emotional change, and her eyes grew wide, deer like, while her skin began to grow a soft brown pelt across it. "I don't know what you are used to, but I can not share a room with you. It's improper and wrong, and we aren't married, therefore... just.. no. There has to be a mistake. They would know I would never... " She babbled, her hair thick now along her skin, her eyes wide like she had been caught in headlights. The soft brownish red of her skin had white dots coming up along her neck, showing that while she seemed to be taking to a deer, it was obvious it was just a young version of one, while she babbled incoherently.

[Zane Parsons]

Zane's face switched between worry and surprise. Normally, when one complimented a girl's looks, she would either thank the person or ignore said person. Never though had he seen someone lose their head. She must hate compliments like the plague. Curiouser and curiouser. Zane himself was not particularly vain, but he was a sucker for the occasional compliment about his appearance. It was times like this that he wished he could read minds.

Zane trailed behind the girl out of the room. What did she mean by he couldn't share the room because he was a boy? "But, you're in a co-ed dorm...Wait, you had no idea, huh?" Zane passed her and stooped to pick up the clothes she had dropped. Well, it was no wonder she was so surprised, poor thing. It was probably like walking into the boy's locker room during changing time for her. The least he could do is to attempt to put her at ease.

The girl appeared to be changing into some sort of animal; a deer by the looks of it. The change was intriguing, and Zane couldn't help but stare. She looked exactly like a deer trapped in the headlights. Unfortunately, it meant that he was the ferocious car. He extended a hand to touch her and calm her, but withdrew it to avoid further spooking.

"Hey, I didn't say I wanted to get into your pants. I'm just looking for a place to stay. I mean, if you're not alright with it, I'll find somewhere else. And who the hell is 'they'?"

[Hanna Rand]

"No, it's not you." She explained, hastily taking the clothes back and putting them onto the small table in the dorm as she opened the door. Hanna was jittery, tapping her leg as she all but pranced from foot to foot. "They asked me where I wanted to be put. I told them. They messed up then." Realizing she still hadn't answered the question on who 'they' were, Hanna started restacking the clothes, thinking of heading down to where the dorm monitor was, and begging for a new room. It just wasn't... doable with her. Her shoulders quaked and her hands shook as she just thought about it.

"The staff here... the ones that keep trying to make us learn to use these abominations." She said, referring to her powers as her hand waved in the air. "Pick any room you want.... I... I need to get this sorted out." Hanna tried to side step, tapping her fingers on her leg in a pattern that was repetitive and made her slightly calmer. "I'm sorry... I just don't.. It's not you're fault, please don't be mad. I shouldn't have yelled like that."

[Zane Parsons]

Zane sighed in relief, glad to be told he wasn't the problem. Or he was in some way or another. Apparently guys in general were. It was hilarious, and then it wasn't. It was nothing short of of questionable, but he guessed it was some sort of culture thing. And one should never go against one's tradition. It was downright disrespectful. If it wasn't that, she was probably just batting for the other team. Apparently, administration had messed up and put her in a co-ed dorm. Maybe they were trying to force her into the arms of some hormonal lad.

He followed her into the dorm and put his suitcase in a room to the far right. He came back out in time to see her wave her hand in the air and complain about the staff and her abilities. "Hey, they're not all that bad. And your ability isn't an abomination. It's a part of you. Think of it as an extension of yourself, an extra limb." Then again, the extra limb imagery wasn't any help. It was too late to take back now. Curse his fast moving mouth. Curse your brain for not being fast enough.

God, she was jittery. It was spreading to him, like a bad itch. He needed to get out of here. "Hey, I'm not mad. I kinda know what you're going through. It reminds me of that one time where..." He trailed off, pausing to note that she probably wasn't listening. "I hope you get what you want." He said to the young lady before heading out the door.

[Hanna Rand]

-Fin-