Out and About {Open}

[pen]

Pen walked alone down the sidewalks of her neighborhood, a warm wind coursing through the streets. The warmth was just about the only thing Pen liked about the spring. The spring meant more sunlight, and more sunlight meant a subtle increase in the already subtle green tint of her skin. But it was enough to make more noticeable, enough to give people more of a reason to stare at her, trying to figure out why she stood out. The spring also meant more insects. Specifically, more insects buzzing around her. She attracted more bugs then a normal person would, and if others wondered, she'd never tell them why. They'd think she was a mental case.

Pen soon found that she had wandered toward a small playground. Young children were frolicking around in the newly warmer air. Their parents sat on benches surroding the perimeter, splitting their time between talking with each other and glancing over at their children. Pen walked through the gate in the fence. She slumped down onto an empty bench, watching the children play, with a small amount of envy. She'd never gotten to do anything like that. But she was lucky then most experiements, she knew that. She was lucky to just be sitting there.

[lenala]

Ver walked into the playground area with her younger brother, Josh, in hand. He was a little thing, only six to her sixteen, with brown hair and her father's green eyes. He was her pride and joy and was like a mother to him. Their own mother lived in New York as of this moment, so it was okay when he accidentally called her 'Mom'.

Verere Rose handed a piece of the two children's favorite candy, dark chocolate, to her little brother and sent him off. She watched him play with the other children for a while before attempting a retreat to her favorite bench.

It was what was called the 'Single Mothers' bench because all the single moms or sisters sat there. Some of the moms took pity on those on the seat, but Verere found it homey.
Someone was there, in the single mother's bench. She looked around Ver's age and so she sat on the other side of the bench.

"You got a brother or sister out there too?" she asked, smiling at the girl. "I have a brother, he's the brunette." It was a sea of redheards and blondes, but only one brown-haired child was in that crowd. "But anyways, I'm Verere," she said, her eyes so trusting. She was young-minded for her age, not always knowing when it was okay to simply introduce yourself to someone. She felt an ant cawl on her finger and she gently put it on the bench.

[pen]

Pen watched as a pair of new people entered the playground. One was a kid, and the other Pen could only assume was her older sister. Her eyes followed the boy as he quickly joined in with the crowd of other children, after getting a hunk of chocolate from his sister. Her gaze then shifted as the older girl, around her age it seemed, walked over to the bench she sat. Pendid not come to the playground often, and so had no idea of who usually sat on this bench, or that there was a usual spot for anyone to sit at.

After the girl had sat down on the opposite side of the bench, Pen returned to watching what was going on around her, until the other girl spoke up. "Pen," She introduced herself first, "I don't have any siblings out there. I was just out for a walk around the neighborhood, and needed a break. So, I figured, 'hey, here's a bench, why not sit down on it?'" Pen had no younger siblings to bring to the park anyway. She had only an older brother, Jason, a high school junior, two years above herself.

[lenala]

Verere laughed at something she apparently thought was a joke.

"Do you sit on random benches often?" she asked, leaning into the bench carelessly. Josh was still playing around with a little red hired girl, pulling her hair. Josh caught Ver's eye and she shook her head at him. He stopped and looked slightly ashamed of himself. She smiled again and turned entirely on the bench to face Pen.

"Pen?" her eyes widened. "Hey, don't you live a block away from me? I think I've either seen you there or at school . . . I'm a junior at the high school." She was a quick study and had skipped a grade or two. She had to study to make it to a good college. She wanted to work with animals. Maybe become a vet. She planned on interning at a nearby veteranary office. But that wasn't for another two-or-so years. . .

[pen]

Pen watched, impressed, as Ver stopped her brother's misdeed just with a look. She had to babysit for a neighbor once, and she hadn't been able to even get him into bed on time. "Yeah, pretty much. I mean, that's what public benches are for, after all. That's why they exist. I don't like go up to a bench in some random person's yard and sit around, or anything."

She watched as a look of realization crossed Ver's face. "Um, Yeah, I think I've seen you around," She said, thinking back to see if she could actually recall seeing her before. "I'm a freshmen. You might know my brother, Jason, though. He's a junior, too." Pen had put little thought into her future after graduating high school. She figured she'd go to college somewhere, but she wasn't sure where or what she'd study.

[lenala]

She thought for a moment and a person popped into her head.

"Ah, so you are Jason's sister?" she said, smirking. He was in one of her classes, not advanced physics. He was decnt looking but not someone Verere would date without actually knowing him.

But here she was, looking at his sister.

"Yup, I've seen you around," she said with a grin. She didn't ask something rude like why was she a freshmen when she was at least fifteen? She just sat there, looking at her brother and then looking at a bug that scampered it's way over towards Pen again. She picked it up and put it another path.

"Silly little buggers, aren't they?" she asked, still grinning. "I like bugs and all, but Spring seems to bring them on full force. How are you doing today?"

[pen]

Pen watched as something seemed to pop into Ver's head, but said nothing as she confirmed that she had seen her around before. She just gave a slight nod. She knew a lot of people who asked why she was only a freshman when she was fifteen already. She was very glad she didn't this time around; she always found it difficult to come up with an excuse for that. The real reason was that she had barely any prior structured education, probably barely enough to pass eighth grade, if even that. So it made more sense for her to start out a freshman then a sophomore.

She glanced down as Ver did, watching her change the bug's course. It didn't seem to agree with her idea, scuttling around and aiming itself to Pen once more. "I don't mind bugs," She said, "Except the ones that bite. Or sting. Like bees. But they all seem to be fond of me. I have no idea why. Of course, she knew exactly why. It was the faint, rosy smell she often emitted, especially in the spring. Most people didn't notice, or thought it was perfume.

[lenala]

"Maybe it's just the weather," she said with a sigh as the bug scuttered back to Pen. Another joined it and Verere smiled.

"Everyone minds those," she said with a chuckle. "It's just nature not to like things that can hurt you. Unless you are a boy, then it's your job to find and play with such things."

Josh was running up and down the playground again. He waved at Verere and she waved sheepishly back.

"So, Pen, do you like school?" she asked with wide eyes.

[pen]

Pen gave a slight shrug, watching as a second bug joined the first, both making their way towards her at their own paces. She decided not to upset their paths, as usual she just let the little insects be. Once they figured out that she wasn't a flower (at least, not all flower), they'd continue on their way, searching for whatever it was they were after someplace else.

"I guess," She said with a smirk at Ver's comment about boys. She didn't know all that much about what kids normally did; but she had seen boys pick up snakes and spiders and things of that nature every so often. "School's cool," She said, "My best subject's probably English. And Social Studies is the worst, by far." Pen loathed Social Studies. It was such a dry, boring subject.