Head On Collision | Raul

[HARLOW BONNIE DAWSON]

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quote here that represents your character/character's name

A small squeal escaped Harlow when the glass broke in her hand. She furrowed her brow and exhaled angrily. She had simply been in Science class, the last subject of the day, holding a flask that contained some unknown chemical. Her grasp had tightened for only a moment when the glass shattered, spilling it’s contents onto the tile floor. Small cuts were strewn across her palm, blood seeping from the slashes and slivers of glass had embedded themselves in her hand. The teacher hurried over to his student and wrapped gauze around her hand. Harlow was then sent to the nurse.

As Harlow wandered the halls, in the direction of the nurses office, she ignored the amused glances she got from passing students. The petite girl was notorious for hurting herself in class, whether it be in science, gym, et cetera. When Harlow left New York she had thought the bullying was finished, another part of her past. It appeared that she was completely wrong. The students knew she was strong so they avoided her hands and feet, but that didn’t stop them from taunting her from afar. One of Harlow’s many talents though, was being able to nearly always carry a smile upon her face.

When she reached the nurses office, she slipped inside, relieved to be free of the insults. It didn’t take long, the nurse, who seemed to be very familiar with Harlow visiting her, removed the glass from her hands. The woman wrapped another strip of gauze around her hand and sent Harlow on her way. By the time she exited the office, classes were out for the day. Harlow managed to squeeze inconspicuously pass a rowdy group of students and continue on her way. Her hand swung limply by her side, a stinging sensation coursing through her hand every so often. She visited the science room once more and retrieved her school bag, swinging it onto her shoulder. When she left the room, the halls were crowded with laughing and squealing high school students. She wasted no time in maneuvering her way to a less loud corridor.

Harlow was nearly to her dorm when her day felt the need to make her afternoon even worse. She rounded a corner and collided with a boy. Her hands flew in front of her to try and stop the collision but, instead, her defense caused the student to fall right on his backside. She clapped a hand over her mouth, completely ignorant of the laughs surrounding her. Harlow stumbled over her speech when she attempted to apologize, “Oh! Terribly sorry. I honestly should be more careful-” As she helped him to his feet, her sentence faded. She recognized him now and there was no stopping the blood rushing to her cheeks. Her hands automatically began tapping the side of her legs and she had to cross her arms to stop the act. When she caught his eye she smiled shyly, her voice quiet and nervous, “Hey Raul. I’m extremely sorry. I wasn’t trying to shove you, it honestly was an accident. Are you hurt? I’m sorry!” She bit her lip, her eyes darting about her surroundings, anywhere but at his face.

TAGGED: Raul| WORDS: 533 | OOC: Hope this is okay!

[RAUL-PHILIPPE NIX]

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“Leave me be!” he yelled at a boy who had knocked into him right after gym class. For once, he had actually avoided pain in the class and had managed to actually be good at something. Being smaller then most guys, he could sneak pretty easily and managed to get through a group to score a goal in soccer. Raul sucked at games like that, and it was amazing that he had actually scored, the winning point none the less, but it wasn’t so amazing after he’d gone to the locker room to change. He’d managed to get through fine until someone knocked into him and pushed him back angrily.

He curled his lip back and sent an image flying, making the boy recoil in fear until he could get away and never see their faces again. He’d have to during his next gym class, but maybe they’d finally let him be. Afterwards, he’d gone to the office to ask to use the phone. They’d been willing enough, so he’d simply called up the hospital that his sister was currently in. He asked questions, and he got the same answer he always did from the nurse he called. No, nothing had changed. She was the same. She would probably never be any different, and he should stop calling before the nurse informed his parents. He hung up and sighed heavily before swinging his pack onto his shoulder and walking along the hallways, ready to get into bed and sleep for a couple of hours. He felt like his heart was broken and he wanted to just…Either be in good company or in good sleep. Either way, he needed something to calm his pain stricken heart. Nothing was going right today, and he didn’t think it would change much.

He was pretty sure he had hit rock bottom when someone knocked into him, making him fall to the floor and whimper slightly. Hearing laughing around him, he kept his eyes closed and covered his face in an attempt to protect himself from whoever had just knocked him down. ‘I don’t need a fight,’ he thought to himself before finally letting his eyes open hesitantly. Before him was not in fact a boy ready to pound his face in but instead a girl who looked genuinely sorry for knocking him over. His vision blurred slightly as he blinked away the anticipation and took a deep breath in.

Accepting her help, Raul let out a broken breath and then bent over to pick up his bag before looking closely at her. Oh…Harlow, he thought to himself. His heart fluttered slightly as he blinked at her and shook his head. “No, no, it’s all okay Harlow…I wasn’t looking where I was going. I’m fine…Are you okay?” he said all of this with flickering eyes, ready for another hit or a threat. Luckily, people were starting to leave as the situation became calmer.

He looked down at his feet, and bit his lip to try and hide his mounting embarrassment. Raul was bad with girls, and the thing was that he actually kind of liked Harlow…Taking in a breath to steady himself, Raul looked up “Um…Look, I’m sorry about that, but uh…Do you, maybe, I don’t know, want to go for…A walk or something?” he felt stupid the instant he said it, and twiddled his thumbs nervously.

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[HARLOW BONNIE DAWSON]

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Harlow Bonnie Dawson

Harlow sighed in relief when he confirmed he wasn’t hurt. A sheepish smile came to her lips but it vanished when he asked if she had been harmed, “Me? Oh, no! I’m perfectly fine. Don’t worry about me. I’m rather hard to injure. . . .” Realizing that she was babbling, she dug her nails into her side, silencing her flow of conversation. The poor girl was terrible with boys. She usually kept to herself, avoiding them at all costs. Because she would start talking about dumb topics and she’d scare them off. And it definitely did not help that she slightly liked Raul. Alright, she really liked Raul, but there was no way he would ever return her affections. She was awkward, antisocial, and shy. Guys like confident girls, right?

It seemed Harlow’s heart stopped beating when he asked her to walk with him. “Of course!” she replied, a bit too quickly. Her pink cheeks flushed a bright crimson. She scuffed her foot on the floor, trying to find a distraction. He was probably laughing at her, Harlow thought, no doubt, he thinks I’m a joke. But he didn’t laugh at her and walk away. She risked a glance at his face and saw that he seemed to be sincere. She nodded again, “Sure.”

They walked through the halls, quietly for a while, until Harlow finally found some topic to talk about, “So how are your SAC classes going? Mine are rather terrible. I break everything I touch, and, even in other classes, I still can’t even hold a bottle without breaking it.” She sighed, lifting her wrapped hand for Raul to see, then let it swing back to her side, wincing when it hit her hip. “Yours must be going better. Have you learned anything knew?”

Harlow didn’t ask any more questions than that. She’d heard bits and pieces of rumors about his. . .sister? It was supposedly a touchy subject for Raul, and she wasn’t going to risk asking for more information. He was one of her only friends at Grace, actually, he was one of her only friends that she had ever had. Back in New York she was looked down upon as a freak because she was so strong. Harlow wasn’t planning on throwing her friendship with Raul away because she had been too nosy.

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[RAUL-PHILIPPE NIX]

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Raul laughed sheepishly, trying to hide the small blush that had risen to his cheeks. “That’s good. Didn’t want to hurt anyone…Might destroy my status, right?” he said, smiling slightly and trying to make himself sound slightly less…Boyish. He sounded like a kid, he’d admit, and he felt horrible even talking to Harlow, because he knew he was probably embarrassing her. He felt hot and nervous around her, and yet wanted nothing more than to keep this moment going for as long as possible. He hated this feeling in his bones, but yet he loved it. It was strange, foreign. Like a new idea, it burst inside of himself and made a new home. He had a crush on Harlow Bonnie Dawson. It was a new feeling, and he loved it.

Her quick reply only brought more of a blush to his cheeks, but he tried to hide it by rubbing them fiercely. “Great!” he replied. When they walked, Raul smiled at himself while keeping a steady pace. He actually was enjoying this. A rare thing to see was Raul actually enjoying a slow walk. Her question made him slightly worried, but he bit his lip. “It’s okay. I haven’t really been trying it very long. It gets me really tired,” he said, shrugging. “And, I’ve been starting to see what they see…So I try to avoid it…You know what I mean?” he asked, pretty sure she had no clue, as he was babbling.

He stopped talking quickly to avoid chattering needlessly, and cast a quick glance to see if anyone was watching the two of them. He was surprised to see that the few student in the hall weren’t giving them a second glance. “You, ah, enjoying the school?” he asked hesitantly. He wasn’t sure what other question he could ask…It felt like an impersonal stage, though he kind of wished it were personal.

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[HARLOW BONNIE DAWSON]

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Harlow Bonnie Dawson

Laughing nervously at Raul’s joke, Harlow brushed a stray strand of hair back from her face. Now that she was talking to the boy she secretly liked, she was suddenly self-conscious. She wore a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt, which was covered by Grace Island sweatshirt. Her hair was pulled into simple braid and pieces of hair stuck out every which way after the long day. Resisting the urge to smooth her hair, Harlow listened intently to what Raul had to say about his classes.

Harlow furrowed her brow in confusion for a moment before understanding what he was saying. He could see what illusions he placed into other peoples minds? How was that possible? She was still pondering the notion when they exited the building and entered the wintry air that surrounded the school. Harlow shivered at the sudden change in temperature and wrapped her arms around her abdomen to try and trap heat. Involuntarily, she stepped slightly closer to Raul, and then blushed when she realized what she had done. Murmuring a quick, “Sorry”, she stepped away, even thought she didn’t necessarily want too.

Glancing at Raul, Harlow could tell he didn’t necessarily enjoy the subject of his ability. As snow collected on Harlow’s long eyelashes, she attempted to lighten the mood, “I guess it doesn’t work very well as a defense mechanism then. It’s still quite intriguing. At least you can do something with your gift, all I can do is play sports better than the average person and break things.” Harlow pressed her lips into a thin line, thinking about the time she punched her father. She had broken two of his ribs, just because she had lost her temper for a moment. Harlow had loved him, despite him practically hating her. What if she lost her temper and did that to Raul? She flinched at the idea. It was extremely hard to provoke Harlow enough to get her to harm someone, but it wasn’t impossible.

Harlow was thankful for Raul’s interruption of her reverie. She looked up at him and pursed her lips, “Um, honestly? I’m enjoying having friends, like you,” She blushed and found a pair of girls making a snowman to lock her eyes onto. “Besides that, I don’t really like it here. But I wouldn’t want to leave. I don’t want to become some government experiment. . . .And I certainly don’t want to go back to my dad.” Harlow never said much about her father. He just turned up in conversations randomly, but she never said a lot about him. Returning her gaze to Raul, Harlow perked an eyebrow, “What about you? Are you enjoying school?”

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[RAUL-PHILIPPE NIX]

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For a moment, Raul was more then eager to be this close to Harlow when they stepped into the cold. He wanted to be nearer, and almost wrapped his arm around her neck to keep her warm, but restrained himself and blushed when she stepped away and apologized. He ran his hand through his somewhat messy hair and smiled sheepishly. “It’s alright, I didn’t mind,” he said, before biting his tongue and feeling his face heat up even more, if that were possible.

Raul nodded and then shrugged. “Hey, that’s pretty cool though. And breaking things can have some advantage right?” he said, then realizing that was stupid, held his breath and closed his eyes. He wished that he could just shut up or say the right things, as right now he felt like a newborn pup who was learning to walk. He knew that it was possible to do something, especially something as easy as talking to a girl, it was just that he was unused to it and embarrassed with every word. He didn’t know what he was doing, he realized, and he felt foolish for it. He realized that his hair was still damp from showering at gym and that his cloths were relaxing ones, hardly anything that would attract a girl. He felt like a moron and wished he could explain it away.

Harlow, on the other hand, seemed beautiful, and he wished that he wouldn’t notice, because that was simply making him more nervous.

He nodded in understanding when she explained her feelings, and then sighed. “I don’t know. I like being around people…Like you…But, uh, no, I hate it here. It’s away from my mom and…Sister, and ultimately it’s a lot more then I can wrap my head around. But I’m glad being away from my pa too. Especially now,” he said, before shutting his mouth immediately.

He wanted to go, now. He was feeling too many emotions, suddenly, and he felt the need to give an outlet. He didn’t have paper, and he didn’t have a mind to project on. He couldn’t do that to Harlow, not invade on her, even with good imagery. What were they teaching him? Focus on something else, like a thought or a word, a small movement. For that second, he waited for Harlow to speak and focused on her voice. For a mere moment, it changed the tide of his now surfacing emotions.

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[HARLOW BONNIE DAWSON]

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Harlow Bonnie Dawson

Blushing a deep red, Harlow told herself it was just the cold making her cheeks pink. And when he said he didn’t mind, Harlow had to look to the blinding white snow to hide the joy that lit up her eyes. She wanted to laugh at how much she had blushed since Raul showed his face. How can a single person cause such giddiness in her? Before meeting Raul she had practically given up the idea of love. She had been awkward and clumsy at her old school and all the boys thought she was geeky. Clinging to the hope that Raul might reciprocate her affections, Harlow pulled her hair free of her braid, letting the locks fall and cover her neck from the freezing air.

“Yea. If I could make a living off of breaking things, then I’d be all set.” She smiled timidly and looked up to his face to see if her stupid joke was amusing for him. She was terrible around boys. And that was putting it lightly. Her voice became squeaky, her feet tripped and her cheeks became rosy whenever she met a boy she adored. She exhaled heavily, watching the puff of white air form in front of her.

Hearing him mention his sister, Harlow glanced cautiously to his face. “I have a sister, you know. Her name’s Lillian, she’s seven.” She reveled in the memories of she and her sister. Some of them not to affectionate, but there was always a sisterly love among them. She just hoped her father wasn’t pushing Lillian now that Harlow had gone to Grace. If he was, he’d have to answer to Harlow, herself. And she wouldn’t mind breaking some more bones.

Suddenly, in a drastic turn of events, Harlow felt something heavy hit head. Jumping slightly, a small squeal escaping her. Harlow realized it was hail and in only a few moments, it was pelting them. Harlow panicked and grabbed Raul’s hand, dragging him behind her to the nearby gazebo. Once underneath the shelter, Harlow laughed, watching the other kids duck and run for cover. Her cheeks were just beginning to become pale once more when she realized she was still holding Raul’s hand. She dropped it instantly, her hands clasping together in front of her. She blushed, not making eye contact with Raul. But his hand had been comfortably warm and she just wanted to curl up against his side until the hail stopped.

Why could she not be more experienced with boys?

Sitting down cross-legged in the middle of the gazebo, Harlow gestured for him to sit beside her. She groaned when it began to fall heavily. “Guess we’ll be here for a while. Unless you want to brave golf ball sized hail?” She cast a curious glance at him, one eyebrow perked.

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[RAUL-PHILIPPE NIX]

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Raul felt like a scolded animal as he walked with his head down and his mind focusing on what was important. He needed to keep himself calm and mostly, more then anything, keep cool so that Harlow wouldn’t notice that he was currently stumbling over every word. Taking in a deep breath, Raul blinked and then chuckled. “I’m sure that there’s some way out there,” he said, grinning at her. He felt like a fool, but bit his lip to keep from looking like he minded. He had to act smooth, cool, and not all like the guys he really was…A nerd and geek who had no idea what he was doing. A boy too shy to actually do anything. Harlow couldn’t possibly feel the same as he did, and he felt a bit of despair at that. Hoping he had a hope in the world to get the girl, he kept his head up.

He wished he hadn’t mentioned his sister, but he was happy that Harlow didn’t ask him anything about her. His heart tugged slightly, but he looked up and smiled. “Yeah? I’m sure she’s cool, if she’s anything like you,” he said, smiling sheepishly before looking down again and scolding himself for using such a cliché. He bit his lip and then forced himself to look up. No need to look like a fool, he told himself while he was going.

When he felt something his head, he suddenly spun around to look at the offender, before he realized that it was not an ice ball, but a piece of hail. His eyes widened as he went to grab Harlow, but instead felt her hand wrap around his. As they started to run, Raul let out a slight sigh and kept up, although it was difficult. When they ran under the gazebo, Raul let out a sigh before he finally noticed that they were actually holding hands. He looked at her and then blushed as she took her hand away. To try and distract from any awkwardness the moment might have caused, he slid his hand to the back of his head. “Well, that kinda hurt,” he said, looking out. It was kind of pretty, if you ignored how big and hard it was…

He made his way over to her and plopped down, looking out. “Naw, not sure if I want to do that. Might be a little…Painful, eh?” he said, blinking.

Looking over to Harlow, he absently leaned back. “Are you okay? At first I thought we were being pelted by someone else,” he said, laughing softly.

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[HARLOW BONNIE DAWSON]

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Harlow Bonnie Dawson

Harlow nodded, a light smile coming to her lips, “Yea. She’s awesome. Love her to death. . . .” She remembered those twinkling brown eyes that seemed to have complete control over her. When Harlow retreated to her room after an argument with her father, Lillian would slip into her room and lay beside her. She’d stroke Harlow’s hair and murmur comforting words in her ear. The girl surpassed an average twenty year old on the maturity scale. Harlow pulled her legs up and rested her chin on her knees, sighing deeply. She was suddenly missing her sister terribly.

Harlow frowned at his comment, “I thought it was someone else too. . . .But yea. I’m fine.” She fell quiet, fuming at the thought that someone would tease her in front of Raul. It’d be awfully humiliating, that was for sure. Biting her lip, Harlow turned her head so that her cheek rested on her knees. Her eyebrows crinkled together and she pressed her lips into a thin line, “Have you ever been bullied, Raul?”

She regretted asking the question but she was extremely curious. Harlow wished he would say no, but if he confirmed her suspicions, she wouldn’t be alone. You’d think people would stop bullying someone once they realized that the person could crush your bones. It was just the opposite for Harlow. It seemed the bullying was worse there, in Grace. Perhaps it was because everyone had an ability there and so they had their own supernatural defense. Harlow was no longer the only one who could crush your bones. She’d seen a kid who could control bones, and he had made them shrink, then grow, on one boy. Harlow thanked God she hadn’t been that student.

A sudden thought came to mind and Harlow turned herself towards Raul. “Raul, do you like your ability? I mean, do you like being able to put illusions into other peoples mind?” Feeling intrusive, Harlow’s next words stumbled over one another, “I apologize if I’m being nosy. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

Harlow leaned behind her and broke a piece of metal off of the railing. She placed the piece in her palm and closed her fingers over it. She gave a squeeze of her hand and then sighed. Opening her hand, she stared down at the pile of black sand-like metal sitting on her palm. She tilted her hand, letting it fall in between the cracks of the wooden planks on the gazebo. “Because I really hate mine.” the words were barely audible, but loud enough for Raul to hear, “Couldn’t I have gotten something useful? Like yours? When I hug someone I can’t even squeeze because I might break them. Do you know how tiresome that gets?” She exhaled loudly, watching the puff of white air form in front of her.

Realizing she was whining, Harlow lowered her gaze. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be worrying you about this junk, I’m just complaining. It’s not important.” Nothing she said was important, her father had made sure to ingrain that into her mind. Everything she did was a waste of time. The only way to become important, her father had said, was to be great at sports. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to erase that thought. She pushed herself at sports, more so than she should. She practiced, almost day and night and she still felt like she wasn’t good enough. Just like her father had said.

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[RAUL-PHILIPPE NIX]

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Raul smiled but said nothing, musing on his own relationship with his sister. He’d been the protector, he supposed, and had taken on the role of parenting on those nights that his father came home drunk or angry, ready to hit. He could remember the multiple times he’d commanded his sister to go into her room, lock the door and not come out. At the same time, he could remember those days when he had bruises covering his body and his sister would try to take away the pain as much as possible. Whenever it seemed to get to bad, she was always there. And he’d let her down.

He commanded himself to stop thinking about that and think about more cheerful things, but found he couldn’t do it. He was happy to hear that Harlow had not been hurt, but was taken aback when she asked her question. The words hung in the air for a long time, mixing with the cold, and he took a while to register them. Hesitantly, he replied, “Yeah. A lot. When you spend more time with a sketch pad then a ball or a girl, you tend to get roughed up a little,” he coughed and then shrugged. He hated saying that, but he wasn’t going to lie. Lying would ultimately hurt him and her more then he could possibly say.

And yet again, another deep question. The wind blew outside the gazebo and made Raul shiver involuntarily, but then he sighed. He let her finish before he thought over his words, a thing he hadn’t been doing and now felt alright to do. “Honestly?” he asked, looking her over. Feeling weak, he looked away and then sighed. “If it were up to me, I would have never gotten it. I could hurt anyone, just with a small flicker of emotion. Anyone I love can get hurt if their around me at the wrong time,” he played with his shoe lace and bit his tongue. “I screwed around her, and now she doesn’t even know my name. I see such horrible stuff, and it haunts me at night,” he said, closing his eyes. He bit his lip and then looked back at her, and when she spoke, Raul’s eyes widened.

“It’s not important? Harlow, feelings are the most important things in the world. And your’s, they mean the world to me,” he said, feeling the fleeting embarrassment in his mind but pushing it away. He wasn’t aware of why he did it, but he took her chin in his hand and brought her gaze to his. “You’re emotions and words mean the world to me…And if you think that, for one moment, they aren’t important, then you don’t understand importance,” his eyes met hers and he watched her carefully.

Oh, she seemed so broken! It was strange, seeing someone so strong so…vulnerable. He wanted to push it all away, but was unsure how. Despite all of his father’s drunken actions, he’d never listened. He’d been told he was a failure who would never succeed in his passions, a loser who would sooner fall then rise. Yet, none had affected Raul as much as whatever was on Harlow’s mind seemed to affect her. Raul-Philippe Nix hated himself, yet he still had hope in himself. As he gazed upon Harlow, he wondered what emotion she had to dwell on. Was there any peace?

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[HARLOW BONNIE DAWSON]

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Harlow Bonnie Dawson

Harlow listened quietly to Raul as he spoke about his ability, how he hated it and wished he’d never had it. It seemed he felt the exact same way that she did. If she didn’t have her stupid ability, she never would have broken her father’s ribs. Maybe he would have loved her if she didn’t have the strength. If she were in his place, she would certainly hate the girl who broke his ribs and always disappointed him. Feeling hot tears beginning to form, Harlow pushed the topic away, but it struggled to rise again.

“And your’s, they mean the world to me.” Harlow’s eyes stared at the falling hail in front of her. His words had no impact on her. Because they spoke of the impossible. There was absolutely no possible way he could care for her feelings. That was just crazy talk. No one cared about Harlow Dawson’s feelings, if they did they wouldn’t bully her. And a guy like Raul actually caring about her emotions? That was the stuff of fairytales. Right?

When Raul took her chin and turned her face to his, her eyes became hard and distant. But as he spoke, the coldness seemed to melt and something burned behind it. Desperation. She was desperate to believe his words, believe that what he said was of the truth. But after having someone tell you, everyday, that you weren’t important and that you weren’t good enough. . . .It was hard to erase that. She didn’t push his hand away, nor did she lower her gaze. Memories of what her father had told her raced through her mind. She heard his voice in her head, the anger and disappointment that seemed to drip from his words. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to drown out his haunting voice. Dammit Harlow! Do you know anything ?! You’re just like your mother. Stupid and careless!

Her eyes snapped open to find Raul’s gaze still on her. As if her mouth had a mind of it’s own, words began to roll off her tongue and her eyes stared into his, “I didn’t want to exercise one day, my dad said I was useless if I didn’t. He said I was dumb because I didn’t like Basketball. He said I didn’t know anything, that I was the most stupid person he had ever met.” Her confessions slowed to a stop, though what she said was only a glimpse into her past. Confusion was painted upon her features, “Am I stupid, Raul?”

In some ways, Harlow was like a child. She believed anything her father told her and didn’t think twice about it. She accepted his comments that she was dumb and worked harder to try and prove him wrong. When he verbally abused her, she took it with a bowed head and tears running down her cheeks. She tried to apologize but he always told her that it was too late. He would never be able to make her into a professional athlete, or anyone of importance. To him, she was a failure.

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[RAUL-PHILIPPE NIX]

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Words hurt. They have the impact to kill, should the person taking the blows allow them to be taken. They have the impact to scar forever, but mostly, they have the ability to imprint impressions that will last forever. Not always scars, just something like them. A memory of a scar, perhaps. Words and art, both used in beautiful and harmful ways. Raul knew this best, and he was having it proven to him again as he watched Harlow.

Her words hurt because of the lack of being they held. He was not used to seeing a person without person, a person who was so buried in their hurt that they were unaware of what was around them. He’d known hurt; he felt it every day whenever he woke up to the picture of his sister, father, mother and his own self. He’d put it there to punish himself, and he felt hurt for that mere moment. Throughout the day, he’d still feel hurt, but it wouldn’t be as raw as it was in the morning. He would hear his father’s drunken slurs, his mother’s refusal to believe that her husband was hurting their son, and his sisters cries as he lost his temper for the last time. That was a picture, and those words were what hurt.

He didn’t want hurt, but it was better to hurt for a moment then to hurt for eternity. And when she spoke, her words hurt in a way he could not explain. The cold hardness they held made Raul almost flinch and drop his gaze, but he held it. And behind the glare, he saw desperation and pain. Raul wanted nothing more than to heal this, then to tell Harlow that it would be okay, and that whatever had put her into such a state would never hurt her again. He wanted to kill that pain, but had no antidote.

When she spoke, his mind flashed about as he connected the dots. He listened carefully, his intense gaze never leaving her face. The pain was familiar, and he wanted nothing more than to sooth it with words and art, to let all of the bad float away and be replaced with good. He held his gaze when she asked that fatal question and didn’t blink when he said, “Harlow Bonnie Dawson. You are not stupid. You are the brightest, strongest, greatest girl I have ever met. And anyone that says otherwise is a complete and utter moron. Your father knew nothing about you if that’s what he said. Sports are not the world, and being perfect mean nothing. I have to tell myself that every day to go on, so I know it’s true,” he brushed her hair and looked intently into her eyes.

Emotions, strong as they were, were not permanent. “Don’t let what he said to you get to you. Life goes on without fathers, trust me, I know. They don’t always know best.” To emphasize, he lifted up his shirt to show a long zig-zag scar along his chest. “My Pa was a complete and utter asshole. He sure as hell didn’t know who was best. Your pa doesn’t sound like he does either,”

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[HARLOW BONNIE DAWSON]

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Harlow Bonnie Dawson

As she listened to what he said, her mind was a jumbled mess. Was what he said true? Or was he merely saying that because it was the polite thing to do? She had been lied to her entire life that she didn’t necessarily what was true and what was false. To her, if someone said it, it was true. But Raul and her father’s word contradicted each other. So which was the true answer? She didn’t bother to try and conceal her confusion, she didn’t see a need to. With Raul she felt as if she could be open and he wouldn’t take advantage of her.

The tears that she had attempted to hold back threatened to spill. She blinked furiously but it didn’t seem to help her blurry vision. No one had ever told her that she was bright. Just that simple word was enough to light up her day. A weak smile was upon her features, but it faltered when Raul revealed his scar. She gasped involuntarily and lifted a hand to cover her mouth. Leaning forward slightly, Harlow traced his scar, trying to figure out how and why would a father do such a thing. Her hand froze though, when she realized he might not appreciate her rash action. She looked sheepishly up to his face, “I’m sorry.” she placed her hand back in her lap and turned completely towards Raul.

Harlow glanced from his scar to his face, trying to decide why someone would want to hurt someone like Raul. He was perfect, in her eyes at least. Fury boiled in her chest. How dare someone hurt Raul. Her only friend, her comforter. She couldn’t restrain the hot tears that spilled onto her cheeks. She wiped them furiously, but they kept coming. Harlow couldn’t remember the last time she had cried. She had learned to keep her feelings to herself, because no one ever cared about them. But now, Raul had just confirmed that he cared about her. Or, her feelings, at least.

She threw her arms around his neck, embracing him. Her tears stained his jacket, but she didn’t necessarily care at that moment. It was just Harlow and Raul. For once, Harlow had someone who was concerned about her and she was going to enjoy the moment. She felt the need to pull away, but it seemed her arms didn’t want to let go. This was her first, true friend at Grace. And she didn’t want to lose him. Eventually, she unlocked her arms and leaned back. Her cheeks were damp with salty tears but she didn’t rush to wipe them away. She merely smiled at Raul. “You didn’t deserve that. I think your dad was more of an idiot” she paused for a second, shocked that she had just called her father an idiot, “than mine.”

They sat in silence for a while, until Harlow had another question, “So you really don’t think I’m dumb? Were you telling the truth?” She didn’t doubt his word, she merely wanted to hear him say it again. For fifteen years she had been called stupid, so she wasn’t going to let the moment pass without enjoying it.

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[RAUL-PHILIPPE NIX]

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Baby you’re not alone, cuz you’re here with me. And nothings ever gonna bring us down cuz nothing can keep me from loving you

Her tears hurt more than her words, but he wouldn’t try to stop them. And he didn’t stop her as she traced his scar, and seemed in a trance. Watching her carefully, Raul did nothing to stop his feelings from pouring out. Exhaustion hit him hard, but he didn’t close his eyes. His deepest secret was now out for Harlow, and her secrets to him. It didn’t faze him, not in the way that he thought it would, but it wasn’t a normal feeling either. It was natural, though, sitting here with her. He wanted to heal her, and though he had dominated his life to pacifying his powers, he suddenly realized he wanted nothing more than to put fire into Harlow’s father’s mind. To make him ache the way that he had made Harlow ache. He wanted to scar the man who had so scarred Harlow. He wanted to mark his mind, make him ache daily, make him cry the way that Harlow was crying. He wanted to destroy that man, but for now, he was content being here with her.

When she apologized, he shook his head and then lifted down his shirt to cover up the mark. “No need to apologize, my dear. Sorry’s are for the real jerks in this world,” he said, smiling sadly. He felt a jerk of surprise when she wrapped her arms around him and let out a slight huff and then returned the favor by lightly wrapping his own arms around her. He rubbed her back lightly, allowing her to cry. He was unsure how many times he cried after he had recounted stories to his sister, and he was unsure how many times she had been there for him. This, this was different. He felt at ease around Harlow, out of danger. Though hail was still falling around them, he wasn’t afraid. Nothing could harm them.

When she pulled away, he scooted nearer and wrapped his arm around her, closing his eyes. “My father was an idiot, but so was yours. You can’t do that to your own flesh and blood. A physical scar only hurts for a bit. A mental one lasts a lifetime. So, yeah, both of our fathers were idiots. What can you do?” he asked, looking at her and wiping away a tear from her face. “Your really beautiful,” he said with a smile. His heart was aching from the pain that he had just experienced, but he felt alright here with Harlow. Alright….

Raul chuckled lightly and shook his head. “You are the smartest girl I have ever met. You aren’t dumb.” He spoke surely. I love you, he almost said, but didn’t. He wasn’t even sure what love was, but he knew that he cared about her and wanted to love her more than anyone ever could.

Pained as he was from now opened wounds, he realized that he had just helped someone who needed it. And he realized with steady sureness that this boy crush was growing, and he was falling far too fast to be picked up.

TAGGED: Harlow | WORDS: 515 | OOC:

[HARLOW BONNIE DAWSON]

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Harlow Bonnie Dawson

Harlow didn’t hurry to push his arm away, nor did she blush and become embarrassed. She merely sat quietly, a blank expression painted onto her features. She scoffed when he spoke, “I suppose you’re right. Although, in a way, physical scars are worse. You can wipe away mental scars, I just haven’t managed to do that yet. But a physical scar just acts as a reminder of what happened.” She frowned and leaned closer to Raul, basking in their moment of true friendship.

The petite girl laughed quietly when he said she was smart. Happiness twinkling in her eyes, Harlow turned her head to look up at Raul. “You can say that any time you want, you know. I’d love to hear it more often.” A soft laugh escaped her lips and, once it faded, a smile remained.

Pondering on the event that had just occurred, Harlow’s smile grew. She looked around at their surroundings, seeing no person near them. “Who knew sitting in a gazebo could be so emotional.” To add to that, Harlow wiped away the last of her tears with the side of her hand.

Sighing deeply, Harlow returned to the thoughts of idiotic fathers. She still didn’t understand why they felt the need to make others miserable. Now that Harlow had heard the exact opposite of what her father had told her, she saw the truth of her past. She remembered the irritated glances that he would give her, and she would take them quietly and pretend she didn’t see him. And now she became angry when she replayed his past actions.

A quiet thought coming to mind, Harlow’s smile slowly faded, “I used to think that Grace Island was my own personal hell. A prison that was designed to control and trap me.” her words were soft, containing no feeling or emotion. The corners of her lips turned upwards and she leaned slightly away from Raul, as to see him more clearly, “But now? Now I think this place saved me.” Returning to her former position, Harlow toyed with the end of her braid, “If I were not sent here I wouldn’t have met you. And I would still be taking my father’s insults quietly and calmly. Now that I realize that he was wrong, I feel so stupid for not noticing it earlier! I took all his criticism and mockery without saying a single word or making a sound!” She ground her teeth together and leaned forward, letting her head fall in her hands.

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