I SEE ME THREE YEARS AGO TODAY , ace

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

The hospital with its sterile smells and blinding white walls was one of the few places that Joshua felt at home. It reminded him of his father and the fact that the man worked here was no secret at home. He was proud to call Donovan his father and in an effort to get that pride reflected back at him he was determined to follow in the man's footsteps. That was why he had started volunteering here, to be honest. He'd told his father that he was just 'bored' and wanted something to do because he was too nervous to tell him about wanting to get into medical school quite yet. He might not think I'm good enough. Though confident in himself, he was always worried about the opinion of the older man. Well, he would show him some day. He would prove to him that even though he wasn't exactly great at sports and he spent so much time studying that he could do something worthwhile.

He had started at the hospital about two years ago but they still entrusted most of the important tasks to the older volunteers. Sometimes he wanted to ask for more responsibility but his quiet and distrustful nature warned him away from asking questions. Instead he tended to keep his mind focused on the task at hand in the hopes that they'd take notice eventually. Maybe they'd even mention something to his father. It was that small hope that kept him going. "Dale," someone called sternly, and he guiltily glanced toward them. Speaking of focusing on your work... His expression must have spoken the inquiry without works. "Aren't you supposed to be doing something?" He nodded curtly and left without verbally addressing her at all. He knew some of the adults thought he was rude but they just didn't get it. He could convey everything he wanted to say without opening his mouth. At least he spoke more at 'work' than he did at school. At the Academy Joshua ignored almost everyone, save for a few people he could tolerate. A very few.

While most of the volunteers got to actually look after patients (nothing to the tune of healing them, just making sure they didn't need anything) someone as young and 'inexperienced' as himself was usually set to work on cleaning up or ferrying things back and forth between the rooms. It wasn't exactly what you'd call 'fun' but work wasn't supposed to be, right? If it gets me into medical school... He was not entirely sure that this was a dream he'd be able to pursue. He knew that the Academy offered the required courses for pre-med but would he make the qualifications for them? He really wanted this. He'd spent hours on the computer researching how to better his chances and volunteer work had been a pretty big ticket for all of them. So here he was. He was clearing up one of the rooms when one of the nurses he'd met before and didn't mind so much entered the room. "Hello," he said quietly. He was not shy, he just did not possess a naturally loud tone of voice. "Hi, Joshua," she said. "Stacy was looking for you, did she...?"

He shook his head, mumbled a quick 'thanks' and left the room. Stacy was in charge of the volunteers for the most part and he had a feeling that it might have been some sort of reprimand for his earlier slacking. The woman could be stern and strict, always going on about how as a volunteer you should always make sure you're still doing the best job possible. 'Volunteers are disposable,' she always warned them. Though she knew that he was the son of one of the higher-ups, that did not matter to her. He worried about this sometimes. However, she didn't seem to have heard of his spacing out for she merely said, "We're getting a new one today. Help him out." She offered nothing else and gave him no chance to protest, already off to tell someone else what to do he assumed. "... whatever," muttered Josh, rolling his gray eyes. Help. He didn't want to help people. No one helps me, why should I? Because it was his job, that was why. Suppressing a sigh, he sat down to wait. He supposed that Stacy would have told the other volunteer to meet him. "Don't look so pleased," the woman said sharply when she caught sight of him again. Shooting her a brief glare, Josh straightened his posture and tried to look a little less irritable.

Tried.

[AMBER SAVANNAH JAMES AMBROSE]

Ace gulped. His hands fiddling with each other like two wrestlers in a fight. He lifted his left arm up slightly, still unused to the cold weight of the watch. But he didn't dare remove it, he knew why he shouldn't. He might go into another panic attack, and his sister wasn't there to comfort him. Ace shuffled his feet staring at the ground. He didn't like this, he didn't like being nervous, and he didn't really want to volunteer. But he made a promise to himself, that he'd be there to save people, even if he couldn't save Ray. And so he wanted to become a doctor, they saved people right? Well he looked it up online, and this was one of the best ways colleges would accept him and if he got into a good college he could easily go to med school. Right? He gulped again and ran a hand through his hair, his green twist-tie ring shifting as he did it. He gave the small ring an affectionate rub. Ray had given it to him, before, well before It happened. He didn't go there, he didn't want to remember it. So he was thankful when some lady came to him. She seemed young, maybe in her late twenties, "Excuse me but could you bring this here?" She asked handing him a pile of towels and a slip of papers. Before he could protest the lady was gone, off to do another job.

Ace didn't know what to do, he looked at the paper, but the lady must have written this quickly because he couldn't discern the letters from random scribbles, and to make it worse it was in cursive and the loops and connected lines just made the handwriting worse. "Doctor handwriting, great." He said quietly before he started walking. He needed help, but he didn't know who to ask, so he leaned against the wall waiting for the next person to come by. "E-Excuse," But the doctor passing by was gone. A nurse came by "Uhm He-Hey." But she too payed no attention to the shy fourteen year old. Ace didn't know what to do, so he kept trying to catch someone's attention.

As luck would have it, someone finally told him what the slip of paper said, Ace thanked him and started to walk away. That is until he remembered he had no idea where that place was or how he could get there. He was frustrated by now, and he really felt like just throwing the towels on the floor and going back to the Academy, hell even going back home. He gave a frustrated groan, and walked around some more, trying to get instructions, but no one would help him, to busy with patients, or just wanting to get out of the white walled place. Eventually he forgot what the place was, and he just gave a curse at his frustration. Couldn't anyone help him?

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

Joshua, who had grown up with a doctor as a father rather than just his boss, was well used to the handwriting of doctors. His own writing was very neat and compact compared to theirs and thus perfectly legible but hell, maybe if he hung around here long enough they would start to rub off on him. At any rate, he had no trouble discerning the notes that he was given or carrying out the orders he recieved. Joshua liked to be kept busy and so as long as he didn't have to stop and deal with other people in the hospital he was relatively content. He didn't look it, certainly, with the scowl on his face and his rigid posture, but he was. He just wasn't a very cheery personality to begin with. He crossed paths with his father once in the busy halls and exchanged a silent nod with him before continuing on his way. He did wish his Dad would stop and talk to him, ask him how he was doing or something, but he understood that this was the man's job, at least. 'I'm busy, Joshua, I have things to be dealing with.' That was probably the answer he'd get if he asked him for anything. He was used to that sort of snubbing. It had been easier to talk to his father when he was little and there hadn't been as many differences between them but he could only lament those days, for they were gone now.

His attention was diverted away from the task at hand when he heard someone curse from nearby. A frown touched the Fire elementals lips as he turned to stare at the offending individual, not caring that the half-glare he was giving him might be considered a little rude. Joshua didn't really care about many people and their feelings. He had a few people whom he still hung around but for the most part he was distanced yet again. He'd tried to pull away from his friends when he'd gotten into the gang and eventually decided that it wouldn't be worth it to ditch his other friends just because he found a 'crowd' to hang around. Now it was distrust that kept him away from others. "What's your problem?" he inquired none-too-politely. He had been told about a new volunteer and all but he did not make the connection that this was the guy he was supposed to be assisting. He'd been reluctant and impatient so he'd left after only about five minutes of waiting and gotten back to what he was doing before. Doubtless Stacy would be on his case about it but oh well.

Noting the stack of towels that Ace was holding and the fact that he was not going anywhere with them--at least nowhere productive--Joshua's gray eyes narrowed. "Are you lost?" he asked. Again, he could have picked a much friendlier tone. He wasn't even trying for the contempt that was in his voice, it was just there naturally. Josh didn't take into account the fact that he'd came to this hospital a lot even before he'd started volunteering and even then one of the other volunteers had helped him to learn the ropes. His entitled personality did not prompt him to consider this guy might just be new and still learning. Instead, he was exasperated and almost amused by the fact that Ace had no clue where he was going. "Who are you, anyway?" the older boy asked. "I don't recognise you." This was a little surprising considering he'd volunteered here for two years. He didn't sound surprised, though. More like haughty.

[Josh is a dick. Holy shit. He'll calm down though but woah, hostility o.o]

[AMBER SAVANNAH JAMES AMBROSE]

Ace grew up with a cook as a father, and thus had a very messy house. When his mom cleaned it only took him, his father, and his sister a few hours for the house to return to a state of messyness. He didn't know why it did that, maybe he had messy genes from his father. His mom was a neat freak, and it was a wonder how such a messy man married such a neat cut woman. Though the two argued (what couple didn't?) they also complimented each other very well. The hospital's neatness was not too foreign to Ace. He'd been in the hospital many times in the recent years. Not for his own injuries of course, but to be with Ray. He wished she was still here, she'd have already got someone's attention by now. Ace wasn't very confident in himself, not yet, he was still very shy and not very outgoing. He hadn't had much experience with girls, and thus was bad at flirting with them, with his lack of confidence he might as well not try. He didn't want to try, not now it was too soon after Ray's death and his own near death experience. Ace didn't hold his head up very high, nor did he stand out much against everyone else, he was very quiet and not noticeable.

Ace had a few friends back at the Academy, he was still somewhat new so most of those friends where with other water freshman. He hadn't made friends with any other element yet, he hoped he would. He needed friends right now, it was bad being alone. He didn't really have a crowd per-say he really just hung out with whoever wanted to. It wasn't desperation, no he just liked to be friends with everyone that he was around. Hopefully he'd be able to get more friends by the time the school year ended. Ace nearly jumped when someone spoke to him. He looked at the other boy, who seemed older than him, and he was taller too. Ace hated being so short, his stupid sister nicknamed him shortstuff, shorty, Oompaloompa, and whenever she could she told him to go 'follow the yellow brick road' though that was when she was annoyed with him. He hoped one day he'd grow taller, six feet tall would be awesome. "Er. it's n-nothing." Ace said looking down at the towels. "I just, um." Ace didn't know how to answer that question without seeming like a noob.

"What? No I'm..," Ace gave a defeated sigh, he needed help, and why not get this from him, at least he asked what was wrong, sort of anyway. "I'm lost, yea." Ace admitted his fault and didn't like doing so, but he needed the help that this boy could give him, so he conceded for the better good. The boy asked him a question and Ace looked back up, "I'm Ace." He liked his name. No one else he knew had it, and it was really unique, it also made his favorite card the ace of spades. So his name, to him anyway was pretty cool. "I'm um new here," he said quietly, intimidated by the boy in front of him. "Who are you?" He asked curious and wanting to get a word in edge wise.

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

Joshua's gray gaze was rather unsympathetic as he glared at the younger, shorter boy. He had been in the position of the class runt at one point in his life but thankfully, with maturity had come height as well. He wasn't quite as tall as his father and there was no guarantee he ever would be but at least most of the girls were shorter than him, now. One of them in his History class was the same height and some of the guys were taller but he was never picked on for being too short any more. He had muscle now, too, and he wasn't afraid of the guys grouping up and bothering him. The Fire students always protected him. A stubborn part of Joshua wanted to insist that he didn't need their help but even though he wasn't stick thin and weak any more he couldn't take on an entire group at once. "Doesn't look like nothing to me," he scoffed. No, it looked like this guy had some place he was supposed to be, which was why after watching him wander around Josh had assumed that he had no clue where he was going. Some people would have taken pity, Joshua... well, he was Joshua.

He didn't believe Ace when he started to protest and gave him a doubtful look but if the younger boy had insisted that he was not lost Joshua likely wouldn't have helped him out. He was not someone with a whole lot of compassion and he would have just shrugged and allowed Ace to take the heat when Stacy found out that things weren't getting done properly. The younger volunteers got bossed around and blamed for a lot of things because they were easier to drop with their lesser experience but it didn't look like he was the youngest any more. "Ever thought of asking for directions?" His tone was sarcastic rather than helpful, even if it was advice in its own twisted way. His little sister would have been really upset with him for being rude but she wasn't even in her double digits yet. She couldn't tell him what to do. "It really helps sometimes." His tone was still dripping with almost venomous sarcasm and he didn't offer to help, either. Would he help? Well, maybe. He hadn't quite reached that decision yet.

In truth, most of his caustic attitude was a defensive mechanism. His vulnerability in the past had allowed the gang to get close to him and they'd used that for all it was worth. Now he was afraid to let people get too involved with his life and so he instinctively pushed them away. Being a jerk just made it that much easier. Not a lot of people would put up with his moods so they just stayed out of his way. It worked for him. Sure, he was never going to have a girlfriend and his circle of friends likely wouldn't swell much further but he was fine with that, he supposed. As long as he didn't end up hurt again. The gang hadn't just betrayed him, they'd tried to kill him. Once you crossed that line you didn't go back.

Ace. Nope, hadn't heard the name around anywhere. Then again, he didn't listen to gossip if he could avoid it. Found it boring--not because he thought it was immoral, just because it wasn't the same if you didn't know the people they were talking about. Besides, there wasn't much time for gossiping at the hospital. "I can tell," he said unsympathetically when Ace pronounced that he was new. Joshua was not new but he didn't offer up this information. He wouldn't even have offered his name up if Ace hadn't asked him. As it were, he frowned and considered the guy for a moment. He didn't like him, but that wasn't surprising. Josh didn't like anyone, save for the very few people he hadn't turned on after the incident with the gang. Devin, for one, and his family of course. "Josh," he said at last.

[AMBER SAVANNAH JAMES AMBROSE]

Ace nodded, "I-I tried. I really did." He said trying to convince the older boy without trying to upset him. Ace was still not developed yet, he still looked like a boy, and not yet grown up into the broad shoulders his father had, nor have the muscle he saw his coach use against a sparring partner. Nope, he was still fleshy not muscled skinny, Ace. He was intimidated and just a bit scared and nervous to be around this boy. He looked like he could easily beat up Ace, though he was sure he might be able to get a punch in. He wasn't bad at boxing, he'd been doing it since he was a kid. But he was short, and his reach wasn't that long, so he doubted that small chance of getting a punch. "Nobody wanted to help me," Ace said sadly looking down at the floor (the towels really the floor was blocked by the towels he was holding). He didn't even notice the boy's sarcasm.

Ace looked back at the boy, and wondered if he could ask for help. That would be good, maybe he could try and ask and he wouldn't just laugh at him. He didn't know why he was so shy, he knew that he wasn't always so shy. He used to be more outgoing when he was younger. He remembered a few times he would strike up a conversation with an adult about some random thing. But maybe the shyness just came with growing up. He didn't know. He did know he used to be shy around Ray, but when he got too know her, he really opened up to her and had fun with her. Hopefully, maybe, he could open up with some new friends that he found.

"Y-yea," Ace said agreeing with Josh's statement, He was new and he didn't know anything about this place or where to go. At least in the hospital in his home town he knew where to go. He knew the way to two places there. The room Ray was in and the cafeteria, though they usually just bought stuff off of the cart and ate it there. He rubbed his hand with the ring and the watch, remembering about Ray made him do that. He missed her, he really did. The boy said his name and Ace looked back up at him. "N-nice to meet you Josh." He said greeting the other boy.

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

Oh, Joshua didn't exactly doubt that Ace had asked for help. No, he really didn't think this guy could pull off lying at the moment. Too jittery for that, he snorted internally. He really didn't care that people had shunned the younger boy. Heck, that was what it had felt like for his first few years in school whenever he tried to actually make conversation with people. He'd toughened up and moved on so he had little sympathy to spare for it. "Depends who you asked," he said, rolling his eyes a little. Some people were jerks, some people were busy. Joshua usually took the safe route and looked for someone sitting down. If they were a jerk to him he usually made a snarky retort and moved onto the next person. He still didn't offer help because if Ace really wanted some kind of assistance, he was probably going to need to ask. Josh had already forgotten the fact that Stacy had specifically tasked him to help out the new guy. He was usually pretty efficient when it came to getting things done but when those things involved other people it usually went downhill from there. Josh didn't exactly do very well with people.

He did not return the friendly greeting. He wasn't necessarily trying to offend Ace but he also wasn't going to lie and smile and pretend to be his friend. If nothing else at least he was honest about how he felt around people. He lied constantly about himself and his life but when it came to other people you might just get an honest opinion. Of course, as most of his opinions turned out negative this wasn't necessarily a good thing either way. He'd been slapped countless times at parties when he had a few drinks and replied a little too honestly to a question of someone fishing for compliments. 'Does this look good?' was apparently supposed to be replied to with the affirmative unless you wanted a nice red handprint on your cheek for the rest of the night. Ironically, drunk was one of the only ways he could hook up with girls. His antics apparently made up for his rather wretched personality and they put up with him being an asshole because they could laugh with him when he wasn't talking about them and have the hungover bliss of not remembering it in the morning.

He was completely sober now, though, which was actually a loss in the situation. He sometimes wished he could just hit up the bars after 'work' like some of the older volunteers talked about doing. Stupid illegality. At least we're not in America. Nope, just three more long years until he could drink in bars as opposed to twenty. He'd be in college. It seemed like it was forever away. He could always try to get into a party or steal something from his father's stash but the latter had gotten him into serious trouble when he was caught. No, best to just mope about his alcohol issues in private. He had a brief flicker of curiosity about whether Ace drank but pushed it away. Seemed too shy to be into the whole 'party hard' scene.

[Oh god Josh TALK. PLEASE. I'm sorry he just was not opening his mouth D:]

[AMBER SAVANNAH JAMES AMBROSE]

Ace shifted his weight to his other foot, "I t-tried asking everyone." Ace said as he stared the towels, too intimidated to look up at the older boy. "Most of them ignored me, but I understand." He said quietly not trying to attract more sarcastic words from the boy in front of him. He didn't know if he was maybe supposed to ask him if he would help. But he wasn't sure about wanting to get help from him. He was bigger and taller than him and he was scared of him, though he wouldn't admit it openly even if the fact of the matter was plain to see. He didn't like this volunteering thing, he had no idea where to go or what to do, right now all he had to do was drop off these towels to a room and be done with the matter. But he was already failing at that, what else would he screw up with?

Ace hadn't always been shy, but with the recent events of how he nearly died, his best friend and love died, and how he was scared of Josh, well the combination wasn't great. Ace had never touched any liqueur before and he intended to never touch the stuff. His aunt once let him take a sip of beer and it tasted like really bad sparkling water. Maybe it was an adult thing, he tried coffee before but hated the taste even though he saw his mom drink the stuff all the time. Maybe in time Ace would try it again and maybe like it, maybe he wouldn't always be shy, and maybe he'd find another love. It was a lot of maybes but that's what life is isn't it?

Ace took in a slow breath, and then let it out just as slow. "Can you help me find the room?" He asked showing Josh the piece of paper that had the room on it. He wasn't sure where to go, and he really hoped he would take him there even though he might not like to be around him, it felt slightly awkward but with time maybe that would fade. He hoped he could just get this day over with already, it had already started off with a bad morning, now a bad night too. Great isn't life just great?

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

Jesus, this kid was a coward. Perhaps if they had met before the gang had absolutely fucked him over in terms of his trust he might have been a little more sympathetic. He'd been there, done that. People ignoring you just because you were younger or smaller or less experienced than they were was a bitch. He'd suffered through all of that in school and then some. Unfortunately for Ace, Josh wasn't someone capable of much sympathy any more. The only sort of guilt or pity he ever felt was around his one best friend and his family. Even that was rare. This stranger merely got a critical frown as Josh considered his words. "This is a hospital," he snorted. "People are busy. You've gotta find people that aren't." It seemed like logical advice to him, even if it was said a little snidely, coldly. Joshua wasn't being friendly but at least he was offering some sort of assistance. Stacy had asked him to, anyway.

Stacy. Shit. What if he's the guy I was supposed to be helping? Jesus, that could get awkward later. Josh didn't have much respect for people pushing him around and telling him what to do, it made him uncomfortable, but he generally avoided trying to piss the older woman off. She had the means to get him fired as long as his father didn't interfere. Dad would, he thought, but that would feel like cheating. He didn't really like using the family's money or reputation to get ahead. If people didn't know he was rich and that his parents were well-known figures in the community Joshua usually avoided telling them. There was less judgement that way. "You said you were new here," Josh frowned. "How new?" If he was going to be helping him--and he'd pretty much resigned himself to that fact--then he might as well figure out just how helpless this guy was going to be. There was at least some comfort in the fact that he'd been volunteering here for a couple years now. He knew his way around, he knew what was expected, and if you really insisted he could tell other people. He just normally preferred to keep to himself.

His frown deepened as he took the note and narrowed his eyes at it, trying to make out the words. Fucking handwriting. Used to it, he was able to decipher what it said after a moment and handed it back to Ace with a sharp and silent nod, gesturing down the hall and then leading the way. He stayed quiet as they walked, making sure to move out of the way when other people were passing. It was something he'd learned early on--if you saw someone coming, never assume they'd move first, or you might just crash into them head on. The hospital was like a damned maze sometimes but Josh was able to find the place they were looking for soon enough. "What did they want you to do next?" asked Josh, leaning casually against the doorframe and staring at his new companion. He still wasn't sure what he thought about this guy. He didn't hate him, Josh didn't hate a lot of people despite the way he behaved sometimes, but he didn't like him, either. He didn't like anyone. Well, most people, anyway.

[AMBER SAVANNAH JAMES AMBROSE]

Ace gulped. "Y-yea. I should've." He said agreeing with Josh. He didn't think of that. He mentally scolded himself for not logically thinking like he should have. He looked around and noticed that like Josh said, the two boys were surrounded by people passing by, some accidentally bumped into him but did not bother to say sorry too busy with their job. There were a few people conversing quietly away staying out of the way of the people who were busy. The busy people ignored them as did the people talking, the two boys just didn't draw enough attention to themselves to be noticed, maybe that was a good thing.

"Err.. Yea I am." Ace said nodding again to the boy. Then Josh asked his next question and Ace looked down ashamed and embarrassed. "I just started today. So that's why I don't really know my way around the place." Ace rolled his shoulder getting a bit stiff from holding the towels. "I was supposed to meet some lady named Stacy or someone she assigned me to." Ace informed Josh of what he had gotten as information. "Sort of like the welcome wagon." Ace said trying to make a joke.

Ace took the note and then followed after Josh careful to follow in the boys footsteps. He tried not get in anyone's way, he tripped once but was able to catch himself. He hadn't learned to stay out of people's way and always assume that they wouldn't move. But luckily for him he was behind josh and just followed what the older one did. Ace didn't pay attention to where he was, he might have lost Josh at the brisk pace he had been going at, so he still didn't really know how to get where he was. Maybe eventually he'd be able to get to the place. Ace dropped the towels down on a table that seemed clean enough. Then he looked up at Josh, "Er no, she just told me to drop them off here." Then the question brought up his own question, "What do we do when we finish?" He asked the older more experienced boy, Ace had a feeling he might have to stick with Josh for a while

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

Joshua eyed the younger boy with a critical gray stare, considering. He wasn't exactly sympathetic to how new he was but he was at least trying to take into account how hard it could be to get the hang of a new job. Not everyone had spent a lot of time in the hospital prior to starting volunteer work like he had. Sometimes as a child his mother would drive to the hospital to visit Donovan at work and tell him something--Joshua had usually accompanied her and chatted to the people in the waiting room. He'd been a lot friendlier before everything had snowballed in his life, a lot more willing to talk to people that he did not know. Then his father would come out to say a brief hello before he had to return to his work and Josh had to go home with his mother. Had he really gotten along with the man so well back then? The thoughts were painful and so he pushed them aside. He had to concentrate on this encounter and what he was going to do about Ace. "I've been here about two years," he said. His voice was a bit stiff but it was at least the first thing he'd offered to the other boy without prompting. It did not mean that he was ready to be friends, only that he was trying to move things along.

Ace confirmed that Stacy had been the one he was intended to meet, also cluing Josh in on the fact that this was the new guy he was supposed to be helping. Great, he thought, quite unenthusiastically. Even in school, the place where he'd always silently flourished, he did not do well when working with others. He was solitary and bitter; though he did not care about his lack of friends any longer, it made for a difficult time in picking partners or worse, getting along with them. He was very intelligent and though not exactly pretentious he could not deny that it bothered him when he couldn't have things his way. He worked much better when he was allowed free reign and creative rights to his own project. Having to factor the ideas and thoughts of other people into something had never worked out, or at least very rarely. Though the situations were somewhat different, he felt that the same principles applied at the moment. He was used to looking after himself and his own job at the hospital. He wasn't entirely sure how to account for two people. You don't have a choice, he thought. What Stacy wants, Stacy gets.

Welcome wagon? Joshua arched a brow. "Forgive my lack of enthusiasm," he said a little sarcastically. Would Ace take the hint that he was this supposed 'welcome wagon'? If he had not been such a selfish person he might have felt bad for the other boy. Getting stuck with someone as sour and independent as Josh on your first day of a new job (volunteering or otherwise) was like drawing the shortest stick from the pile. It sucked. However, as he was not empathetic, he didn't really think about it at all. "Stacy's probably busy shouting at someone," he said in deadpan tones--it was hard to tell whether he was being serious or not. He was, as it was very hard for him to joke around and relax nowadays, but whether Ace would be able to guess this was another matter entirely. Josh tended to confuse people a lot, mostly with unintentional things. He didn't find pleasure in baffling people but he didn't exactly like being helpful, either. "I guess you're stuck with me." I'm sure he's thrilled. It took a good amount of self-control not to roll his eyes.

Again with his self-absorption, Joshua didn't even notice the fact that Ace didn't walk as quickly or have as long of strides as himself. Had he turned around he would have been surprised to see Ace flagging behind a little but he was intent enough on his goal that he didn't turn to his unfortunate companion until they'd reached the room, none the wiser to any times he might have nearly lost him in the maze of halls. "Find our supervisor and ask her, I guess." He shrugged. That was what he usually did but he was not sure if he was meant to be performing differently today. Stacy hadn't really explained much. "She probably is yelling at someone. It better not be us, next." He gave Ace a half-glance half-glare that might have been a threat. She'd better not yell at me because of you, he thought, keeping said thought to himself. It was not hard to read his expression, however.

[AMBER SAVANNAH JAMES AMBROSE]

"Oh. that's cool." Ace said quietly responding to the boy, or was it commenting? One of those things. Ace didn't know what else to talk about, he looked back up, "Oh um not that this isn't er. wow. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound jerkish." Ace said trying to save himself and his dignity without stumbling. Which was rather hard, he looked back at the floor, (he knew all the marks on the one tile by now) embarrassed. He wondered why Josh was so, cold. Was he always like this? He wondered if he ever had a smile on his face, though he didn't think that the probability was high.

"Err. That's good then that I found you instead?" He said trying to, again, make a joke or at least some how try to alleviate some of the awkward air surrounding the two. Ace imagined this lady like a mean teacher. Old, glasses, and always yelling. He was probably only right about the last part. Ace gave the other boy a grin, "I prefer you're company than being yelled at." Ace said, then added, "Not that there's anything wrong with hanging out with you, I'm sure you're cool to be around with." Ace said trying to save himself.

Ace nodded, "Yea we could.. We could also you know check out where she is and hope she's not yelling. And if she is, don't worry I'll take the blame." Ace said casually. He said it casually because it was actually the one thing he was confident about in this hospital. If he had to he'd take the blame and not let Josh (the only person to help him) get yelled at. It was the least he could do.

[JOSHUA DONOVAN DALE]

He blinked. Jerkish? Now, Joshua might have been a bit of an asshole but he at least knew that he was being rude and abrasive, he acknowledged that fully within himself. But Ace? He hadn't been acting at all like a jerk and thus Josh didn't understand how the guy had inferred as much. Was he perhaps one of those selfless and apologetic types that blamed themselves for anything? Ugh. I hate people like that. He himself tended to be very self-absorbed and so it was hard for him to really grasp why others could be so damned nice all of the time. It gave him a headache to think of how their brains might work. Did he feel guilty that he wasn't as compassionate as they were? Well, no. He didn't have a very strong capacity for guilt, unfortunately. He didn't allow himself to regret a lot of things. He frowned at the idea of Ace calling himself a jerk but did not actually comment on or debunk it—it would have been a nice thing to do, to reassure the younger boy, but of course... Joshua didn't care about all that. All he cared about was getting his work for the day done. He was very efficient when it came to jobs because he generally kept to himself and completed tasks on time. He was a good student for the same reason. He sacrificed a social life for one of academics.

He shrugged. "Your call." Due to the fact he understood he wasn't being the nicest person on the planet, the luck of finding Joshua rather than Stacy was debatable. The woman was not exactly what you'd call nice or helpful but neither was the dark-haired teenager currently half-scowling and looking quite bored. It was not because of Ace, but rather because of his default expression. He never looked particularly cheerful and when concentrating he was often told that he looked irate a lot of the time. This didn't bother him. Helped quite a bit, actually. People were less likely to approach you when you constantly looked as if you were about to knife the next person to say hello. He was not that cruel or violent but he'd keep that knowledge to himself. He liked being left alone. "True," he decided in fairness to himself. He didn't yell, not even when he was upset. He tended to do the opposite—his voice would get quiet and dangerously low, suggesting that the person who had angered him should shut their mouth before he overreacted. "Well I don't know what you're smoking, but..."

Cool. He didn't really think that he was cool. He wasn't alarmingly low on self-confidence any more but he also wasn't so conceited that he thought the sun shone out of his every orifice. If he had been cool he wouldn't have had to resort to 'befriending' a gang. They hadn't been friends at all but older boys who'd sensed his desire for companionship and fitting in, exploited it as much as they could. Suspicion toward Ace started to gnaw at him but it was kept mostly at bay by doubt. He doesn't look like he could hurt a fly. Still, Josh acknowledged that he could be wrong about the other guy and so warned himself to be careful. Maybe if I knew more about him? Josh didn't like asking about other people, he really didn't. He hated when others asked about him and so he supposed that just rubbed off on him. "Why'd you want to work here? Don't you have to go to school?" He kept his tone casual, acting as if he was just making conversation and that he didn't really care.

It actually surprised him a little when Ace offered to take the blame for him. He was used to the opposite—when he'd hung around the gang, they'd always pinned the blame on him. And I just sat there and let it happen because I thought they were my fucking friends. What an idiot I was. Still, he tried not to let this affect his opinion of Ace. He didn't want to get too comfortable around the other boy. Josh almost felt like he should insist on at least sharing the blame, it felt wrong to manipulate someone, but he was not personable enough to voice something like that. Instead he just nodded silently and went off in the direction he believed Stacy to be. "Maybe we'll get lucky. She can't be angry all the time."

[Ha oh Josh. You say you hate selfless people and then four years later you end up with Nell... -cough-]

[AMBER SAVANNAH JAMES AMBROSE]

Ace gave a small laugh, He didn't smoke, anything at all. Drugs weren't his thing, neither was drinking. But he was able to get the joke. He was starting to warm up to Josh. He was honest, and a bit of a snarker, but life needed that, an honest snarker. He really didn't mind Josh any more, but he was still a bit intimidated by him that much he was sure to hold on to for a while. They walked, looking for the woman in charge, Ace hoped they wouldn't find her in a bad mood though. He really didn't want to be yelled at on his first day. Ace looked at Josh and shrugged. "I want to help save people," He said quietly, it was his reason, he couldn't do anything to save Ray, but he'd be stupid if he didn't try to save anyone else or at least help. Ace didn't see himself as heroic, he just wanted to save people, though it was a heroic deed. He just saw himself as a person who did the right thing. He gave a sigh, maybe she'll be nice to him since he was new. He really was dreading meeting with this woman. "Well I'd just volunteer on weekends and after school. Don't you have to go to school?" He asked boldly getting slightly more comfortable around the taller teen.

They walked on, and Ace kept looking for a screaming angry woman around here. " I don't think being angry all the time is good for someone's health." Ace pointed out. "It's ironic sense it's in the hospital." Ace tried his best to keep pace with Josh, but the other teen had longer legs and a faster stride, so it Made Ace adapt an odd sort of half jog half walk to keep up. Can someone really be angry all the time? It made him wonder. He remembered the Grouch and he wasn't grouchy all the time, in rare instances he was actually nice. So he was sure that this lady had to have her nice moments also.