Creatively Unbalanced [tag Nell]

Nell lounged on the grass, fingers preoccupied with the wreath of flowers she was threading. It was nice now, being able to grow flowers one wouldn’t be able to see in the fall otherwise. It was amazing, actually. Her two other Earth friends were talking about some TV show that she offered her own two cents on while trying to show the other Earth girl next to her what she was doing with her fingers to link the flowers together. When Nell finished hers, she placed it on her head, the dark blue flowers matching her football jersey. ”Ever play sardines?” she said to no one oin particular. The two who were discussing their pop culture blinked over at her. ”The hell is that?” She grinned and said, ”It’s like hide and seek, but one person hides and everyone looks for them. And when you find the hider, you’ll have to join them until the last person finds you.” Her voice rose in excitement as she described the game, hoping that it would be contagious.

A lot of the times her ideas for games were a little childish, but she really didn’t know that. She didn’t have childhood friends or even a childhood to speak of, and she wasn’t aware of certain things that might be immature and might not. Still, the others seemed bored enough that they were willing to play. ”Okay, I offer to hide first then. Count to…two-hundred.” This gained complaints from the others and she said, ”All right, just one-hundred then.” Nell would have liked some time because the castle was huge, but she was also fast and hopefully she’d be able to find a hiding spot quickly enough. ”Now turn around,” she said with a laugh and waited until the others turned to face away from the castle before she hurried up the lawn and re-entered the building. The temperature change inside wasn’t too drastic, and she felt comfortable in her jeans and Giants jersey she got at the thrift store (she always found interesting things there, and it was fun even when she had her father's money). She kept her speed steady, not quite running so that she wouldn’t get in trouble or in anyone’s way, but she was traveling in more or less a gallop. All the while, she kept her hand poised near her head to keep the wreath of flowers on.

Nell decided to go around the empty corridors, and wondered if that would be too obvious. Nah, it’d be fine. Bouncing on her toes as she looked between doors, Nell heard music coming out from one. She opened the door and slipping in, looking down to see the lock. That would be cheating, though, because it’d be kind of difficult to find someone when they locked the door. Turning around to find a desk to hide under and figure out what the deal was with the music, she instead saw Tal…with a mannequin and a dress and all her design materials. She grinned. ”Hola, mi amiga,” she said airily, loud enough so that hopefully the girl would be able to hear over the music. She hated to speak Spanish when people didn’t know, but she knew there were a few words that were common knowledge. Maybe not as much in Canada as America, but it was easy to tell what hola meant. Then, as a more serious greeting to her friend, she said, ”Hey. I would ask what you were up to but…I can kind of guess.”

Growing a little antsy knowing that her friends would be dispersing soon, she went over and sat a little in front of the girl, so that she wouldn’t be able to be seen thanks to Tal and the mannequin. Gently placing a finger to her lips as a flower fell from her crown, Nell said, ”I’m playing sardines, so if anyone comes in, I’m not here.” Curious, she asked, ”You ever played?” She usually avoided personal questions in conversation, because she was always nervous when someone asked her questions like that. Of course, she always stayed cheerful and friendly, and only some questions required her signature ‘It’s complicated’ response. And hopefully a simple question like this wouldn’t be too personal for Tal to answer. You’re way too over-analytic, she chastised herself. Then, because she was curious, she asked, ”What are you designing?” Nell always liked to know about people, and she was very interested in Tal’s talents with fashion. Talented Tal, she thought, a grin slipping into her features with the thought. But she kept that piece of corny humor to herself, for now.

So Nell did feel bad for scaring the living crap out of her friend, but she did giggle a little at the girl’s reaction. She was not a cruel person, but it was amusing considering she’d been very focused before. Okay, now she really felt bad and so she ducked her head and lifted her shoulders in a silent apology. She seemed to recover quickly enough, though, for which Nell was glad. They’d be having some problems if she keeled over from shock. Nell would of course be calling the hospital and trying to stay calm. She always had to remember that when one of her friends got hurt—don’t freak, that’ll just make them feel worse.

The Earth girl gingerly fingered the crown of flowers on her head, and said, ”Why thank you.” Even though she said it in a joking tone thanks to her overall good mood, she was very appreciative of the compliment. Her powers had gotten to a level she’d never imagined and maybe when she got to college—Stop. She always had to prevent herself from thinking of the future, something that was very iffy for her. ”That sounds awesome,” Nell chirped when Tal shared her little anecdote. She liked hearing about stuff like that, other people’s lives and their childhoods. ”I guess your mom wasn’t too opposed to it.” She was about to say ‘mama’, but remembered that was a Spanish term she had used for her own mother, just as she’d called her father papa. And still did. For some reason, she couldn’t call him by his first name and she just didn’t know why.

Nell chuckled, even though Tal hadn’t really said anything funny. It was just that her friend was in a good mood, therefore she was in one too. ”The temperatures are definitely cooling off now,” she said, tugging at the sleeves of her letter jacket so that they covered her hands. ”And soon enough winter will be here again. Got any plans for the upcoming cold season?” She remembered her first winter of freedom and how much her underdeveloped powers had suffered, and the fact that her apartment was freezing. But she still loved it, because it was freedom. This winter? Nell didn’t want to think about it, because this winter was the trial and after that, there might not be another winter for her ever again. Instead of focusing on that, she listened to Tal and her fashion jargon. ”A winter blazer sounds cute. I know I’d wear it. You have some awesome designs even now, ever think of selling them?” The Earth girl wasn’t focused on the greed or the money or anything. Designing just made Tal happy, and so she wondered if she wanted to do that with the rest of her life.

Her back was up against the wall now as she tried to shrink in on herself to make it a better hiding spot. This was a castle, though, so it would probably take them a long while before even thinking to check there. That was one of the best things about the Academy—it was huge and perfect for her claustrophobia. She still didn’t look at the closed door, though. No, she was focused on Tal now, thinking of how interesting it was to watch her do her thing. She almost laughed when the girl used the word insipid, but said, ”Those are cute to go together. What color are you making the lining?” Nell didn’t know a lot about fashion, didn’t really know if it was acceptable or not to make lining the same color as the jacket. She just looked at something and if she thought it was cool, she got it. So it was always intriguing to get inside Tal’s mind, because it thought in different ways than hers.

The Earth girl had a lot of respect for other people’s private lives, because she knew she didn’t really like questions about hers. That’s why she didn’t ask Tal why she was staying or if she had family back wherever she was from. Because if someone had asked Nell that, she would have given her usual answer with a bright smile. “It’s complicated.” And a lot of times, people didn’t know the difference. Nell smiled all the time, so much so it could be a little creepy when she just smiled to herself over nothing. But she was just a very cheerful person, and it shone through even when she was trying to skirt around questions about her life. ”Canadian winters are brutal,” Nell said with a slight laugh. She didn’t hate them, of course, but it was true. ”Wise decision. Wouldn’t want you to get sick when I’m not around to make you chicken noodle soup.” Even though it was vague, it was a slight reference to the fact she wouldn’t be around come winter. But that could be taken for anything. In December, she’d be off to New York. But Tal didn’t know that, and when the time come—if the girl didn’t catch wind of it from the news—Nell would tell her that she was just going on vacation with the smile always on her face. She’d tell her that she’d get some souvenirs from boutiques in the city. And she wouldn’t say that she may never come back.

People wore masks too well, it seemed, because Nell was blissfully unaware of what was going on in Tal’s head. Just like the girl didn’t know that her friend was constantly pushing thoughts of the trial away. ”That’s true,” Nell said softly, looking up at the ceiling for a bit, her lips in a smile as soft as her voice. ”I know a lot of people don’t want to turn their hobbies into something they do for a living. Because then it turns into work and it’s not fun anymore.” Months before, Nell would have spoken more freely about the future. She would have been more willing to think about it, because back then freedom seemed more possible. Like the underground railroad had taken her from the south, and there was no way anything could catch up with her. It was liberating, to finally experience the world. But then her father came and it crumbled just as quickly as she built it up. And now Jane was here, and there was just so much crap. As much as she didn’t let it get to her—because the one time it did was the first time she cried in ten years—it was like the walls were slowly caving in.

Nell straightened up in excitement at Tal’s words, turning her warm brown eyes on her. There was always the light in them, but she didn’t want to think about how similar her eyes had been to her mother’s. ”Really?” she said in a childishly enthusiastic voice. ”You know how to make me swoon, Tals.” Especially since blue was her favorite colors. She couldn’t remember if she’d told her friend that with how little she talked about herself, but it must have cropped up some time since Tal was so into fashion and colors was just a part of it. ”You know what, maybe you shouldn’t sell your clothes. That way you’ll always have a style unique to yourself.” It must be awesome to have a talent like that, one that sets you apart. One that you could be remembered for. Nell didn’t think about herself a lot, but sometimes—like when playing twenty questions with Josh—she wondered about certain things. Like if she had any talents. She really didn’t, unless one considered card games and flair bartending talents. Maybe origami too, but could she actually be remembered for any of those? No. That’s why if she wanted anything of herself to be left behind, she wanted to leave a mark on other people. She wanted to help them. It would be a great way to be remembered.

The door opened and Nell huddled against the wall so she was more obscured by the desks, and ducked her head into her jacket. ”Hey, did a girl come by here?” she heard one of her Earth friends ask, sounding rather out of breath. ”Brown hair, varsity jacket. We’re playing sardines.” She felt the tight feeling in her chest and butterflies in her stomach, the exhileration of being so close to getting caught. No, you did not see me Tal, she thought, knowing that her friend would cover for her.

I love you so much, Tal, I really do. Nell’s smile kept up on her face as she listened to her friend lie. At her comment, she only grinned further. After the Earthies left, Nell determined that it was alright to speak. ”I was wearing my jacket earlier. Good thing I took it off, seemed like it unintentionally tricked them.” She bit down on her knuckles to stop the giggling, as if she’d done something incredibly daring and had gotten away with it. ”Hope they don’t come back,” she said as she wiped her fist off on her jeans, now over her little fit. ”And I hope they text me ifthey want to start a new game.” To make sure, Nell took the phone out of her back pocket. She wouldn’t really mind if they started without her now, since she had Tal to talk to. Still, it wasn’t a pleasant experience to be kept hiding forever, not knowing whether the seekers gave up.

Deciding that it was safe as Tal returned to her work, Nell pushed off from the wall and perched herself up on the desk. ”Speaking of jerseys,” Nell began. “Do you play powderpuff? We get to make our own jerseys, and well, I was wondering if maybe you could design mind. But you don’t have to, I just thought it might be fun for you.” She tacked on the last part quickly. She didn’t want it to seem like she was begging a favor out of Tal. The Earth girl loved sports for the sake of keeping active and moving, and powderpuff was just fun, especially with the boy cheerleaders. Plus, it was necessary to do some kinds of sports with her diet, even though she had a rather helpful metabolism and a naturally small frame. ”My nickname is El Torro. The Bull.” She bent her fingers near her forehead for ‘horns’. She really liked the nickname. It reminded her of her heritage and the dream of one day going to Spain to see the bulls run through the streets, or the matadors, or even just explore the countryside. ”I was thinking I’d get that on my back.” Not being able to keep the conversation on herself for long, of course, she said, ”You should join. Your name could be…El Diablo. The Devil. Terrifying right?” She laughed at this, aware that she had a terrible sense of humor.

Nell tilted her head when Tal spoke of Josh then. ”Where’d you see him?” She wondered. Even though her boyfriend was staying with her, she didn’t keep tabs on where he went every day or what he did with his own time. She was usually busy herself—this game of sardines was a pleasant break—so there was really no way to know where either of them were every hour. ”I’m glad,” she said with a soft smile when Tal said he looked good. Nell could only hope that he was doing good since it wasn’t like he’d tell her how he was feeling. But she knew it was hard—it had to be—and the thoguht made her stomach burn. She wasn’t going to tell Tal anything about Josh’s situation right now and why she was glad to hear he was looking food. Nell was not one to talk about anyone’s personal life, especially not Josh’s. She was sure that not a lot of people knew his father had disowned him because his girlfriend was a murderer—that wasn’t something you shared with people. ”How are you doing on the boy front?” Nell said with a mischevious grin, lifting an eyebrow. She hadn’t been on the look-out when Josh had asked her out—it was clear by the amount of time it had taken for her to figure out what he meant by going out. She wondered if it was the same for Tal.

Nell nodded enthusiastically at Tal. ”Yep, yep, but for girls.” While there were feminists who believe that women should be allowed to play on the same teams as men, she wouldn’t want to be clobbered by 7’0”, 200 pound sweaty men. That didn’t even seem safe, really. ”It’s flag football,” she went on energetically. ”There’s no real tackling, all you have to do is yank the flags from around the other players’ waists.” She sat back a bit, considering now. ”Though you still have to block.” Nell was tiny, to say the least, so what she really had going for her was her speed. That’s why she played cornerback. El Torro wasn’t really too fitting for her—she certainly was not as aggressive as a bull. ”You know, I can teach you how to play, if you want. In a non-competetive setting, of course.” Nell really wasn’t even the competetive sort, it just wasn’t in her nature. She liked to move around and have fun, so sports were good for that.

Watching as Tal circled the mannequin like a predator, Nell kicked her feet back and forth on the desk. She perked up instantly at Tal’s response. ”That’d be awesome,” she practically squealed. ”I love bright neon colors!” She liked colors in genral, though if she had to pick her favorite it would be blue. ”Oh man, I’m going to have the coolest jersey there.” It really sounded incredibly cool to have a jersey like that, made with Tal’s expert hand. Nell turned to better face her friend when she sat down next to her, and couldn’t help but clap when she agreed. ”I would stay away from…El Diablo.” Nell spoke the words with extra dramatics and even added a thicker accent to El Diablo. Tal was right though—it might not be too safe for her. ”Okay, what do you want your nickname to be?” She really wanted to give the Water girl something cool, but Tal wanted inocuous so she wouldn’t have to be tackled as much.

Being as Nell wasn’t the kind of person to talk about others and their lives, she didn’t say anything more about Josh. Instead, she said, ”You jog in the morning, too?” It was something about Tal she didn’t know before, and therefore she was very intereseted in the information. Goes to show that you never know anyone completely, every little trait about them. ”Benny and I like to get up at ungodly hours to run. You should come with us sometime. We could get breakfast.” She wondered if Tal knew Benjamin, considering they were in the same element and same grade. True, she didn’t know quite a few people in her own element and grade—she’d only met Deirdra about halfway through the year.

It was a dangerous thing to be adorable around Nell. It encouraged the overwhelming desire to feed you, give you some candy and not think about how sometimes that can be a little creepy. She couldn’t help it, though—Tal was just being too cute. But then she spoke, and Nell tilted her head to the side like a dog just given instructions it doesn’t understand. Especially when she mentioned a few people that Nell wouldn’t like Tal to be. ”You’re right,” she said, nodding as if expecting the girl’s words. ”I mean, guys don’t want intelligent, nice, and creative girls who are hella beautiful. I guess that means you’ll be single forever.” Dropping the joking act, she nudged her friend. ”Seriously, you have a lot going for you. I guess you just don’t see it, but the boys certainly do.” She was sure of that, actually, and she was determined to prove to Tal that it was true.