-- FUCK THE SYSTEM && [adam]

Tic. Tic. Tic. The hallway was almost completely silent, save for the faint flicking of nail against nail. He leaned against the wall and picked at his fingers lazily, one foot propped up for better support. Only five more minutes until he was allowed back into the classroom. Adam was not one to care whether he was on one side of the door or the other; class was class. The only problem was that he was already fucking shit up on the first day and things had barely gotten started. Molly would surely be disappointed. He frowned. His mother was one of the only people whose opinion he took into account. Even so he was here now and all there was to do was wait out his "timeout" time. I'm not a fucking baby. Adam thought defiantly, a sour scowl on his face. The door opened and one of his fellow students poked their head out. "You're allowed to come back in now," She said timidly as he turned to look at her with a hardened expression. He was irritated (when was he not?) and it did not take much for him to lash out with, "No shit sherlock. Thanks for the message." Adam pushed off of the wall and walked back into the room. The teacher passed him a rather reprimanding stare, to which the boy glared back and slumped back into his desk. "Staring is rude." He pointed out with a growl before looking at the text book sitting in front of him. There was no point in trying to pay attention now, being as class was almost out. He spaced out until the bell rang. Adam could not get out of there fast enough.

Adam exhaled as he was met with the crowd in the hallways and let his shoulders loose. As much as he did not like certain people in this world, he thrived best with people as a whole. It was odd, considering his temper and lack of tact. Shouldering his backpack higher for comfort he began to meander down the hallway towards his next class. Asher had already taken to showing him around the castle so he was confident in his directions. He was confident with just about everything. Amid the group of people swimming around him, he caught sight of a familiar face. He smirked and ticked his chin upward in a sort of greeting, a sort of friendly smirk on his face. He stopped in front of her and did not really care that they were preventing people from moving through the hallway better. "Yo," He replied. Just as he was about to say something else, she cut him off. He would have been upset had she not left him with a cryptic message to ponder over. "I guess. But why the fuck would you pick the cliffs? What, you gonna tell me that you're an alien here to abduct me or some shit?" Adam quirked an eyebrow, displaying his confusion in the form of sarcasm. The kid had no tact and no filter. No wonder Asher was always so exasperated with him. It was a wonder Molly had not gone bald from the stress of dealing with him on a daily basis. He had not even thought about the fact that he would be passing up class until she mentioned it. "Yeah, fuck class." Adam replied with a huff of a laugh, playing with her words. Someone nudged his shoulder as he walked by and the boy turned to glare at his retreating form. "Asshole!" It was almost like he wanted a reason to be pissed off.

He rolled his eyes. "Obviously you don't know me that well. I don't need a reason to skip class. I do what I want." He tried to act disinterested in what it was Annabel had to say, but he was curious. Very curious. Probably more curious than he should be. What the hell is so important that she's willing to skip class and talk at the cliffs? He could only wonder. Adam lifted and dropped his shoulders with as much nonchalance as possible. "See you there. Don't drown in the toilet or some shit." Molly used to ask him that when he would spend a long time in the bathroom. 'Did you drown?' It was such a stupid thing to ask but oh well. He could say what he wanted. Adam actually liked this sneaking around thing. Made him feel like a bad ass. He made his way out of the castle and onto the grounds. The wind smacked him right in the face and made him shiver for a brief moment. The hike up the cliffs was...almost interesting, being as he almost took a face plant onto the trail when his foot hit a loose rock. "Nothing to see here," Would have been his reply, complemented with an angry glare. Finally managing to survive the trek up to the top, he met with Annabel. "There better be a fuckin' good reason you pulled me out here to freeze my ass off, Annabel." He warned, keeping his eyes narrowed. He bunched up against his hoodie. Even as he said it, Adam knew he would have showed up anyway. He did not have a vast number of friends and--though he won't admit it aloud--he admired the girl. One of the few who could put up with his bullshit. Adam folded his arms and tried to look important. "So, what's with the secrecy? If you're gonna proclaim your love to me then you should at least find a more romantic spot." He smirked, joking.

Adam narrowed his eyes and scoffed at her comment, feeling petulant as always. He knew he was not an idiot. He watched as groups of students passed by and was growing ever more curious about what it was she wanted to talk about. Secrecy drew out so many possibilities and his mind could only try and comprehend a few of them at a time. "Well how the hell am I supposed to know? I'm not an alien." He lifted his chin, ever the argumentative one. The boy was arguing about aliens for God's sake. Everything was fair game. "But this better not be some trick. Because if is..." There was a hint of warning to his voice but no threat completed the sentence. Adam was always full of them. He liked to talk big, as though he had something in his arsenal that you would never expect even when he had absolutely nothing. He would never intentionally harm Annabel. Not that she knew this of course. Not that he would tell her. A smile brushed over his lips as she repeated what he said. If anything it amused him because he liked when other people found what he said or did amusing or worth repeating. Who didn't? A big of an ego boost, even if it was something as simple as this. Really, Adam would take just about anything. The boy shrugged and tried to act as though she were supposed to know. "You should just...know. Simple as that." He nodded slightly to confirm his words. Part of it was joking, the other part a feigned sense of superiority.

"Ah fuck it. Nevermind. I'm not even gonna try and explain it to you." Adam waved her off and let her disappear to do whatever it was that she needed to do while he steered off in the opposite direction. Too bad the air was frigid and uncomfortable. He watched like an infatuated child as the warm air from his lips rose up into the air like a small wisp of cloud. He bunched up tighter and snorted loudly. "I'm not a baby. And it's fucking freezing. End of story." He argued, trying to have the last word. It did not always happen but hey, can't blame a guy for trying. Had this been Asher his older brother might have merely ignored him. Smiled and walked away from him as though his attitude was not even worth attempting to deal with. This of course only pissed Adam off and a fight normally ensued on most occasions. Oh, siblings. He quirked his eyebrows a bit, the smirk widening. Annabel had spunk, there was no denying that. He liked it though. Adam was the sort of guy who did not care whether or not you could deal with who he was, but when he took notice that someone could handle him there was a silent admiration. "Oho, is that so? You think you could actually manage to just...push me over? I don't think so babe. Not gonna happen." There was a glint of a challenge in his dark eyes; was he actually daring Annabel to push him off a cliff? No. More a display of his enjoyment of their bantering back and forth. The babe comment was just adding to the attitude he carried. The smile faded a bit as he listened, always appearing angry or grumpy even when he wasn't. He thought back to when they first met, and the times they hung out after that. Slowly, Adam nodded as he said, "Yeah, I remember. Why?" He would have refrained from tilting his head but it was subconscious.

Normally, Adam might have tried to pretend to be prepared for what it was Annabel had to say next, but being as it was the last thing he was expecting there was really no way to disguise the look of shock on his face. She had talked so boldly about becoming a Fire, how her entire family were Fires, and now this? Adam could only blink a few times before managing to find a response. "You're not? Then what the hell are you?" He replied, not really being all to quiet about it. If one listened closely you could make out a twinge of anxiety. Adam's brain buzzed as it tried to process the words. His mouth automatically dropped open slightly. "You're...Jesus. You're a Water? Fuck." He ran a hand through his hair and turned away to look out over the cliffs. "You're damn right I know what it means. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." He looked so incredibly angry, but it was not towards Annabel. It was towards the fact that that meant he could not be friends with her. That they were supposed to be enemies. No matter how much Adam did not like to admit that he needed people to rely on, he knew that he did. Never stated out loud, rarely ever called upon even in times of great need. But he knew that they needed to be there. His dark eyes flicked back in her direction. "And what are you suggesting exactly? That we go behind everyone's backs and remain friends? Do you know what they'll do to us if they find out?" He was not even sure, and that set him on edge. He was loyal to his element. Wanted to be. But now he was torn. Then again, Adam was never the type to follow the rules. If you told him he couldn't do something, you could be damn sure he would try. Releasing a small huff of a laugh, he shook his head and looked at her, arms crossed. "Not that they would find out. Unless you go babbling away to people about it."

"That would be incredibly fucked up if they did that," Adam pointed out, now realizing how stupid he actually sounded. Would he admit to that? No, of course not. Too prideful. Why would he waste time insulting himself? He was not really the type to own up to any of his short comings. A blessing and a curse. "I wouldn't have put it past you. But at least now I know whenever we do something that requires a lot of work, I'll be safe from anything you might have up your sleeve." He smirked. Annabel was probably capable of attempting a trick at any time, but the thought was consoling none the less. Adam did not like to be made a fool of because he felt he was smarter than that. He shouldn't be falling for anyone's prams. As confident as he was, he would not be a fan of someone trying to pull the rug out from underneath him. It would make him more angry than embarrassed though; that was how Adam responded to things like that. With a snarl and foul words. "Oh, I thought women already had psychic powers. They always act like they do, anyway." Such a generalization but he was using it more for humor purposes this go around. Annabel never tried to place him in a box or attempt to understand every aspect of his personality, and he silently appreciated that. Where was the fun in having people around you if you already knew every single detail about them? Changing things up kept life interesting. Adam was definitely unpredictable.

Adam laughed and shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets, shaking his head at the mental image of his friend having a set of balls. Really, it was an awkward image but amusing as hell either way. "Are you saying you have them? Or are you saying that you want some? No matter which way you look at it, that's sick as fuck. I'm not so sure I could handle being around you if that's the case." He smirked. Annabel was one of the few people he liked to be around. Could actually stand to be around. He would not give that up for anything, even if she did aspire to be a transvestite. Still an awkward image. "I'm not underestimating you," Adam said, sizing her up with his dark eyes. "I think you're overestimating yourself. I mean, if you wanna hurl me over the cliff edge you can go ahead and try." His arms were still crossed tightly over his chest as though actually daring her to make a move. He liked challenges, the back and forth, arguments. He never could explain why; perhaps it the fact that he enjoyed having the last word and proving others wrong. That would be a probable reason at least. Having Annabel come out about her powers was not really something he could say much on, being as shock somewhat took precedence before he could speak. "I would've been pretty pissed too. Fire is where it's at." He attempted not to be condescending towards her because she was a friend but it was hard. He knew how the alliances were and how each element felt about one another. The Fires were supposed to hate Earths and Waters. Here he was talking to one.

The boy narrowed his eyes when she replied, but did not speak out just yet. His mind was still reeling with the news and was not sure how to fully respond to anything. Normally he would have started babbling and cussing and lashing out but his brain was shorting out. Made it difficult. Adam perked up an eyebrow. "But what? You really need to finish your sentences and shit. This isn't really helping me at all." He was growing frustrated out of confusion and surprise, which could be taken as him getting upset with her. That's how it always worked, right? He did not know about what happened with Joshua and the Fire elementals, nor did he know that the reason had been Nell. Annabel spoke of them often and fondly but the elements never really came up in conversation. "What happened to him?" The was a tinge of wariness to his voice, the confusion seeping through as well. Even so, Adam was not willing to let anything freak him out or deter him from doing what he wanted. He would not admit to being nervous or edgy. Annabel was one of the only people he felt remotely comfortable around and he would be damned if he tossed it away for a rule that said he had to. Fuck the system. He lifted his chin and returned the grin, liking that she was not opposed to this. "I'm pretty good at it myself. Like a fucking ninja. No one will ever know." And to her next comment he added with a playful smirk, "Oh, I thought excessively talkative equaled stupid. My bad." If he had meant it he would not have been smiling, though it did falter when she punched him in the arm. Had she been anyone else he would have lashed out and hit them in the face. Instead he pushed at her shoulder before shoving a hand back into his hoodie.

Oh, how the boy hated losing. Adam could and would argue until his face turned blue to try and gain the upper hand, but there were times when there really was no point. Especially if he grew bored. Not that Annabel, aliens and creepy pedophiles were boring, but he could use it as an excuse as to why he let Annabel take home the prize. Made him feel better, at the very least. Adam pointed an eyebrow and smirked at her. “I could be. What are you gonna do to prove that, huh? Go for a twenty mile run? Climb Mount Everest? Build a marble statue of me? Not that the last one wouldn’t be appreciated.” He did not mind challenging his friend, nor did he mind boosting himself up in the process. Adam was egotistical; he liked to prove people wrong, to make a statement, to stand out. Annabel was one of the few who seemed to rival him in stubbornness and the drive to show others that the impossible was possible. It did leave them to bicker back and forth quite a bit but Adam honestly would not have it any other way. To have that change could potentially be a problem. What would that mean for their friendship if something altered it? Perhaps it was his age that led him to believe that certain consistencies were meant to remain that way forever, even if reality believed otherwise. “Not cliché,” Adam replied with a shake of his head. “Just stating facts. You just can’t handle the truth.” Nah, women didn’t have psychic powers…did they? If so, that might be how Molly always knew he was up to stuff he shouldn’t be doing. Like playing video games instead of doing homework, or not eating all of his dinner and merely pushing it around on the plate. The woman was definitely in tune with otherworldly powers.

“Allergic to girls with balls, yeah.” There was no need to try and argue that one. He was pretty damn sure that a girl would be freaked out by that too. If they weren’t, there would be cause for concern and he would have to wonder why they thought it to be normal. “I’m comfortable with mine, thanks. No therapist or any of that bullshit needed. Not that they can do a damn thing anyway.” Molly attempted to send him to see a psychiatrist when he was younger after dealing with Collin. His anger issues did not help in the least, and for a long while his mother and brother wondered if he would ever grow out of it. Nope. Adam was far less cruel now than he used to be, but if and when he has his moments they do not usually go unnoticed. He scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Jealous? So you’re saying you do have balls. I’m pretty sure I’ll have to draw a line somewhere with our friendship and that could be the line.” He looked serious, had a rather intense scowl on his face, but he did not mean it. Even someone like Adam knew he could not afford to just toss friends away; they were few and far between. Even if Annabel did have male parts he would not argue or change his affiliation with her. Loyalty to the people he wanted to be loyal to would be ever present. In his attempts to be a tough ass, he actually pointed out that they did have a friendship. Adam hardly ever mentioned those sorts of things aloud. It did not mean that they did not exist, more that he hated to admit dependence on another person even if it was for little things. “Oh yeah? Well fuck you too.” Did he always have to try and have the final word? Yeah. Stupid and useless, but that’s how he rolls.

Adam blinked but did not lose the stoic expression on his face, even when Annabel sounded offended at his words. In all honesty he had not thought much on what he said (he rarely ever did) and was merely going off of the fact that she was upset about her situation. Y’know, being Water and all. He felt it was the truth but at the same time figured she would agree. Oh well. “Hey, you were the one complaining about being a Water. Calm your tits. Besides, I kind of have to side with my element, remember? I’m pretty sure if I went around babbling about how great Water is I’ll be fucked.” His tone sounded irritated but not outright enraged. Had Annabel been anyone else that could have been possible. Subconsciously he was attempting to rein in his temper. It would not always work, but no one was perfect. Adam kept his arms crossed and tight against his chest as she spoke. “Yeah I met Nell a couple of times. Never said much.” Mostly because they were going to play video games and hang out and the thought to stop and chat never crossed his mind. Annabel’s news was actually surprising but refrained from showing that on his face. Adam hated being caught off guard, even in situations like this. “Well, that’s how it’s supposed to work anyway. Shit like that isn’t allowed.” He was not angry, more or less stating a fact. What Josh did was his business but being with Nell warranted him the response he received from his element. Fires were probably some of the worst you could betray, with their deep rooted loyalty and all. That did set Adam on edge though; if he stayed friends with Annabel and the Fires found out, would they respond the same way? I don’t like being told what I can and cannot do. Was that how Josh felt too? After a moment of silence he turned his attention back on his friend and nodded with a smirk. “Stuck to you like glue, baby.”

“I’d make a glorious statue,” Adam crowed, tossing his chin up into the air with confidence and a smirk that said ‘yeah, you can’t bring me down’. He had a streak of confidence that shot through the roof, and unless he was already in a foul mood he let cutting comments roll off of his shoulders. This was Annabel anyway; Adam had a feeling that she did not mean it. And if she did he was none the wiser and that was fine too. Perhaps it was this confidence and ego that kept him going even when people did actually make attempts to cut him down. Did he always manage to be unfazed by them? No, no one was immune. The boy narrowed his eyes and tensed his shoulders, though it was all in play. If Annabel did not know him it might have looked real. “You better not or you’ll wind up at the bottom of the lake. Crazy psycho bitches and their mind reading.” The angry expression faltered for a half second, lips twitching upwards. He trusted Annabel not to walk around and speak of anything he might tell her, which was an incredibly big deal for Adam. The boy had quite a few acquaintances and knew a lot of people but he trusted few and made friends with few. So that said a lot about the girl standing in front of him now. She held Adam’s trust. One of the people he legitimately cared about. Not that he would speak of that aloud, because for him revealing soft spots for others only made him feel open. Emotional attachments or discussions of said emotions were hard. Feels were hard.

He loved that Annabel liked to argue with him. Adam was an argumentative person by nature and liked the back and forth, though most of the time other people relented and allowed him the upper hand. Not Annabel. She bounced back as quickly as he did. An admirable trait in his eyes. “Or a creepy transvestite,” Adam pointed out, looking perturbed by the image. “I’d prefer you be a guy than that.” Not that there was anything wrong with transvestites; they just caused Adam to shiver. Not having actually met one he did not realize that they were just like everyone else. Age truly did leave one inexperienced in the world and with people in general. “I’m dying as we speak, actually. Thanks for ending my life early. Thanks a ton.” Nah, obviously he was not allergic to his friend. If that were the case they definitely would not be standing here talking right now. Hell, Adam probably would have avoided friendship in the first place. He and Asher were somewhat similar when it came to dealing with people. Adam was more loyal in some ways, but he did have his limits. It all depended on how he felt towards each individual. “Right? Fuck that shit, man. I don’t even know if I could sit there and talk to a stranger about life anyway. What a waste of cash.” Like Adam would talk to someone about his problems to begin with. He could hardly talk about much of anything personal with the people he trusted, let alone some dude sitting behind a desk with a certificate that said he spent four years learning how to listen and say ‘and how do you feel about that?’

At first, Adam was completely oblivious to how his words affected Annabel. That’s how it usually went for him though. No filter meant little to no thought to what he was saying and what kind of reaction it might elicit from others. He did try with some people to be more aware but he was human and things did slip past him every once in a while. Like now. It was a horrible habit and Adam was fortunate that he had a few people in his life willing to put up with it. Mainly his family. Annabel was one of the first outside of Asher and Molly to just accept what was and roll with his punches. Adam caught the irritation in her voice but merely kept a scowl on his face. She was right of course, but would he admit to his shortcoming? No. That meant claiming he was wrong. “Whatever,” He waved it off, though his voice was considerably softer than it should have been considering how angry he looked. They did not quite match up. And then, the dreaded feeling that he despised more than just about any other: guilt. His statement was not meant to insult Josh; it had been a simple fact. He knew that what they were doing here was not allowed too. Instead of apologizing or even appearing remorseful Adam merely blinked and shoved his hands into his pockets. A relaxed position, not defensive. A bigger signal than most anything else. “I never said he couldn’t, did I? I was just stating facts, not tryin’ to fucking attack people. If I was completely against it, do you think I’d still be standing here?” Adam pointed to the cliffs at their feet, raising his eyebrows and still retaining a frown. No, not a frown. A scowl. He did not want to portray an image of regret. “I know it isn’t. And I don’t give a fuck. So…let’s do this.” The boy shoved his hand out at her to shake, offering a small twitch of his lips.