Zane Cooper
December 26, 2007 12:46 AM
Well this is disappointing by Zane Cooper
Blue wrapping paper went flying as Zane ripped it off the small box his cousin Hannah had sent him for his birthday. It was his first birthday present to arrive at Sonora, in fact, it was a day early. But Zane wasn't one to get caught up in specifics. Once he had made it through that first obstacle, he opened the cardboard box to find it stuffed with an assortment of candy.Now, there were several ways he could go about extracting said candy. He could dump it all out on the floor on which he sat - but that ran the risk of damaging or losing some of the precious sweets. Picking them out one by one would be tedious and painful. He was a twelve year-old boy, he didn't have the patience for that! So he went for the compromise, picking out the small packets of candy in handfuls and organizing them on the floor.
The expression of excitement on his face quickly became one of disgust as he observed what exactly Hannah had packed for him. Acid pops? Cockroach clusters? The blood-flavored lollipops meant for vampires? And of course, there was the dreaded, splintery Toothfloosing Stringmints.
Typical Hannah. Leave it to her to pick out all the strangest, most disgusting candies known to wizard kind - simply to see if Zane was brave enough (or crazy enough) to eat them. And she would find out the truth, as both cousins knew all too well. While Zane could exaggerate, he had never really mastered the art of the blatant lie, and she would be sure to catch him if he tried.
The first year folded his arms, brown eyes resting upon the less than delectable candy. He was just trying to think of a solution to this most troubling dilemma when he noticed a shadow being cast upon the candies.
"Please," he said, looking up at the source of the shadow and gesturing to the sweets, "Feel free to take as much as you want."
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Zane Cooper
Well this is disappointing
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Zane Cooper
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5
Renaye Warren
December 26, 2007 12:57 PM
I'm sorry for you by Renaye Warren
Renaye trooped down the stairs from the girls' dorms, having just spend a good hour on the dreaded essay she had been putting off. Thankfully, she had completed it. Essays were... just, no. As she entered the common room Zane was sitting on the floor, paper flying from a box in front of him. He picked out some of the candy the box contained before folding his arms. A little less than pleased, she assumed. Raye couldn't blame him. Come on, who gives cockroach clusters as a gift? No one really eats those things! They're stirctly used for pranking, putting under someone's pillow, in your parents' soup... That sort of thing. But maybe Zane wasn't aware of this, as hse was looking at the things like he was going to have to eat them. Renaye joined him on the floor, giving him a smile."Please," he said, looking up at the source of the shadow and gesturing to the sweets, "Feel free to take as much as you want."
"Happy Birthday," Renaye said, picking up a cockroach cluster. "I don't think you appreciate the potential these little guys carry," she said, holding it up. "I think we can think of a way where you don't have to eat them, and get some pretty great entertainment from them too!" She grinned at him. There was a lot of opportunities with all of this. It just had yet to be discovered. In fact, Josh hadn't been pranked by her all year! He should be expecting a little mayhem. If not, well, it was his fault for not being alert.
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Renaye Warren
I'm sorry for you
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Renaye Warren
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5
Zane
December 26, 2007 2:57 PM
I'm sorry for me too by Zane
Zane was making his best attempts not to retch at the mere sight of the so-called sweets when he saw Renaye. Only managing to return her smile with a weaker one, he was glad to see a friend.“Thanks,” he said, “My cousin sent these things to annoy me in her absence. Hannah was completely livid when she found out she missed the cut off to come to Sonora this year.” Poor Hannah was a December baby, and therefore only ten at the beginning of the school year. She’d thrown a tantrum when she discovered she would have to wait one more year, and would probably throw another one upon the realization that she would have to wait another year to try out for the Quidditch team.
Dark eyebrows rose with curiosity for Renaye’s next statement, “Well, go on, explain! Anything’s better than actually eating this stuff.” So maybe Hannah might accuse him of being a chicken for not actually consuming the candies, but she would have to appreciate alternative usage, especially if Renaye’s plans were particularly entertaining. What was Renaye proposing? Perhaps a prank? What else could one use these sweets for? Zane didn’t share the same love for them that Ronen or Hannah did, but that didn’t mean he too couldn’t enjoy a well-executed prank. He wondered what his family would say if they found out that he, Zane Thomas Cooper, had actually planned a prank. Laugh, probably.
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Zane
I'm sorry for me too
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Zane
0
5
Renaye
December 27, 2007 8:32 PM
I'm sorry that you're sorry for you. by Renaye
“My cousin sent these things to annoy me in her absence. Hannah was completely livid when she found out she missed the cut off to come to Sonora this year.”Renaye gave a small laugh. She and Josh were in the same boat. Their birthday was in the beginning of December. They had been so close to going the same year as Irene, but no. Those few months trashed the idea of being in a year with Irene. It wasn't a huge disappointment to her. No so much where she would send Irene aweful candies for being born a few months earlier. She had had enough going on last year without Raye sending her pranks-in-a-box.
"Same with Josh and I," she said. "We were born in December, so we were really close to being in the same yaer as Irene."
“Well, go on, explain! Anything’s better than actually eating this stuff.”
Raye grinned and launched into the explanation, "You know Josh. Black hair? Lives with you? Well, it's been a while since he has been victim of one of my pranks. I was thinkig we could take these little buddies," she held up one of the clusters, "and put them under his pillow, in his shoes, in his trunk... anywhere that he may find them when he's off-gaurd." She looked down at the box of "sweets", her long blonde hair falling forward. The Toothfloosing Stringmints could be used... Let's see... How?
"Oh!" She exclaimed, suddenly getting inspiration, "Picture this: Josh goes to sleep. While he's sleeping, you and I slip the Cockroach Clusters on his pillow or under the blankets or something. Then take the Stringmints and wrap it around the bedposts, like a net. In the morning, he'll wake up, see the little guys, jump up, but get caught in the floss."
Renaye hoped that Zane didn't think she was being cruel or anything. She was his sister, his twin sister. She was expected to pull an occasional prank. Plus, the only people present for this would be Zane and herself. She wasn't so bad where to have him publicly humiliated. After all, she was still his sister. But really, what kind of sister would she be without a little Josh-inflicted humor?
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Renaye
I'm sorry that you're sorry for you.
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Renaye
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5
Zane
December 28, 2007 1:08 PM
Well now I'm getting kind of nervous by Zane
”Hannah’s in December, too. Christmas day, actually,” Zane nodded. He felt bad for his cousin; it was kind of a rip off, really. Christmas and your birthday were the two days in the whole entire year when you can basically ask your parents for any gift, and there was an actual chance they’d give it to you. And birthdays were supposed to be all about that person. Poor Hannah only had one day of the year to feel special and get gifts, and she had to share it with every other kid celebrating Christmas, too. Zane was quite thankful to have his birthday in early April, when the only thing he had to worry about was Easter sometimes falling on or near his birthday.Zane raised his eyebrows at the proposition. Prank his roommate? His one and only roommate? The one that he was expected to live with for the next six years? Sure, Renaye’s plan did sound pretty cool, and it might be fun, but it was easy for Renaye to propose. It wasn’t like they were planning this for one of her roommates. And as the intended target’s sister, she had a little more protection than Zane did. Zane didn’t think that his roommate was the type to get really angry over a little prank, but he couldn’t be completely certain. The thought that Josh wasn’t as likely to attack his twin, also made him kind of nervous. Zane was well aware that his magic skills left a lot to be desired, and if Josh challenged him to a duel or something, he was probably better off running for Ro in Pecari or something. Wherever Pecari House was.
“And he’s not the type to totally freak out on me, right?” Zane asked slowly, “I mean – he will freak out, but he’ll realize its all just fun, right?” The thought that Renaye might lie to him never even crossed his mind. As far as Zane was concerned, they were friends, and he trusted her. He trusted Josh too, just not to the point where there was even the smallest chance that bodily harm would come to him.
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Zane
Well now I'm getting kind of nervous
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Zane
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5
Raye
December 29, 2007 12:05 PM
Hmm... Well I'm getting kind of hungry. by Raye
”Hannah’s in December, too. Christmas day, actually,”"Ouch," Raye said. It would definitely not be fun to have your birthday be overpowered by Christmas. One of her friends on the neighborhood team had her birthday on Christmas and she always got the whole "Well, this present is for Christmas and your birthday," thing. She hated that. Renaye and Josh's birthday was December 9th. It was actually pretty cool because it was far enough from Christmas where they don't get the close-to-Christmas rip-off, but it was also close enough to it where if they didn't get something they had wanted for their birthday they could drop hints like crazy for Christmas.
“And he’s not the type to totally freak out on me, right? I mean – he will freak out, but he’ll realize it's all just fun, right?”
Renaye could understand why Zane would be a little nervous about pranking his one roommate. Renaye would be nervous about pranking Laurie, her one roommate that liked her.
"He'll know it was my idea. He's been sort of expecting a retaliation from the prank he pulled on me this summer," she grinned at the memory, "He pushed me off my broom into the pond as I was about to score. Cost me the game..." Renaye thought this might not be exactly comforting to him.
"He won't be angry. Josh won't laugh his head off about it, but he'll smile and shake his head because he should have expected it. Don't worry though," she said, smiling reassuringly. "He won't be mad, but I'm not going to make you do it if you don't want to."
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Raye
Hmm... Well I'm getting kind of hungry.
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Raye
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5
Zane
December 30, 2007 8:15 PM
I'm always hungry by Zane
Renaye seemed to be certain that Josh was used to this type of thing, which made Zane wonder why she hadn’t pranked him so far this year. Maybe she had, and Zane had been to preoccupied with being upset because he couldn’t play Quidditch to notice. That was more than possible. He was still disappointed he wasn’t able to play Quidditch this year, but he had grown more used to the idea as time flew by. Besides, it was summer vacation in a couple of months – he could play all the Quidditch he wanted. And then when he got back to school, there was nothing that could stop him from trying out for the team.It was now Zane’s turn to say, “Ouch,” and remarked that, “You guys have a violent sense of humor, don’t you?” Zane would never risk anyone else’s potential Quidditch careers with avoidable violence, simply because he knew he would hate it if someone did that to him. And Ronen called Zane melodramatic – hah! Zane thought of his view on violence as very sensible. Perhaps that was why he’d been sorted into Crotalus.
“You don’t have to make me do anything,” he reassured her, taking a roach in his hand, lightly tossing it above his hand, catching the insect, and then repeating the process, “This is just funny, not really belligerent,” he said, proud of the new word he had picked up in a Quidditch magazine (what else did he read?).
But speaking of things he didn’t want to do… somehow, Zane’s mother had found out about the Midsummer Ball. His guess was that Law had told her, because he was all kind and considerate like that. Plus, his older brother had always been something of a mama’s boy, something that Zane didn’t let him forget. His mother was absolutely ecstatic about the party, had already picked out the perfect dress robes for Zane, and was pretty adamant about his attending the dance. Now, Zane was no mama’s boy, but he knew that this was one of those times when it would be a horrible time to cross Dorinda Cooper’s wishes.
This in turn had left him with the dilemma of who to ask to the dance, because surely he ought to ask someone. That was part of the whole tradition, right? The thing was, Zane was an eleven year-old boy, and two years ago, he had fully believed in the cootie epidemic, and had made it a point to avoid all girls who weren’t his relatives at all costs.
Zane knew he wasn’t ready to like girls just yet, and while some girls were cool to be friends with, he wasn’t exactly into the whole dating and crushes thing just yet. Therefore, the girl that he asked to the dance had to be a friend, someone cool to hangout with. The obvious choices were Renaye or Laurie, and Renaye was right here and she was totally awesome, and not just for a girl, either. There was no question in his mind that going to the ball with her would be loads of fun. True, the mere thought of asking her took him way out of his comfort zone, but he had to give it a shot, right?
The first year opened his mouth as if to speak, and as soon as he did his stomach began to twist, as if he was going to puke or something. Quickly his mouth shut, and mentally he berated himself. How was it possible that flying around on a little piece of wood, dozens of feet in the air, with the constant possibility of one of two big metal balls careening into him and knocking off the broom to his death didn’t scare him half as much as asking his friend to go to a party with him?
It was one of those times that he hated himself for being so pale, and he couldn’t fight the ensuing blush. Zane promised himself he’d work up to asking her. In fact, before this conversation was done, he’d ask. Really.
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Zane
I'm always hungry
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Zane
0
5
Raye
December 31, 2007 12:04 PM
How do you sleep? by Raye
OOC: Happy New Year!BIC:
Renaye laughed at Zane's thought about their sense of humor. Being pushed into the pond was apparently something that you had to do in order to play Quidditch, or so Irene had told her. Renaye very much doubted that. Josh and Irene had each been pushed into the pond before she had. Also, she had been at Uncle Mike's for almost a year and she had heard nothing of this new initiation, but it was okay. She had been upset about Josh taking away her opportunity to score, but she realized if she was in the same position, Josh would have been the wet one. So she laughed. It was, after all, perfectly funny, even though she was on the receiving end of the prank. Now it was his turn, hopefully.
"A little," she remarked. "But we weren't very high off the ground. Either way, I think it deserves pay-back. He did, after all, cost my team the game."
“You don’t have to make me do anything,” he reassured her, “This is just funny, not really belligerent.”
"Awesome," she said smiling, "Because I could do it by myself, but it would be so much easier, and more fun, if I had a friend to help out."
The thing was, Raye usually had to work on this sort of thing alone. She didn't prank him all the time, but every once in a while, when she felt he deserved it, she'd come up with a plan. Elaina wasn't into it. She was scared of getting in trouble with Uncle Mike. The thought of trouble with him made Raye laugh. That man could appreciate a good prank, but Laine liked to stick to whatever artsy thing she was doing at the time. It was great to have a friend who was up to helping her out. This should be fun. Zane was always really cool. If we were allowed to fly, Renaye thought bitterly, Then we might be able to hang out more. Raye looked up as Zane seemed about to speak, but he closed his mouth a second later and a pink color tinted his cheeks. Renaye pushed it out of mind. It was probably nothing.
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Raye
How do you sleep?
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Raye
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Zane
December 31, 2007 4:15 PM
Surprisingly well by Zane
OOC: Thanks! Happy New Year to you too! BIC:Glad that Renaye didn’t seem to notice his flushing, Zane swallowed and waited for the redness to go down before speaking again. He repeated the line over and over in his head, ‘Renaye, do you want to go to the ball with me?’ Perhaps familiarity with the idea would make it easier to enact. Perhaps not. Every time he repeated the line in his mind, over and over again, he felt a little more uncomfortable. Zane wasn’t used to feeling awkward, and he didn’t like this, not one bit. Merlin, he was going to have to do this soon, wasn’t he? It was the only way to end the anxiety that he could think of.
He nodded, glad to be on a topic he was much more comfortable with, “Nothing tastes worse than a loss,” he agreed, “Law thinks it’s silly, but I can’t stand to lose.” His brother was one of those ‘just have fun’ types who didn’t really care about winning or losing, he just wanted to play the game. Well, that was fine for his brother; Law wasn’t much of an athlete, anyway. Zane had even told him so, it was only honest. Though on the shorter side, Zane was the athlete in the family. But he was certain that it would be hard work just to get back to the caliber he once played at, given that he hadn’t played Quidditch in months. Law had the advantage over Zane on that one – Law was on the Teppenpaw Quidditch team, and got loads of more practice than Zane ever could.
“Yeah,” he said, agreeing again, “I’d love to see the look on Josh’s face when he wakes up to one of these,” he said, holding up the roach he’d been tossing, “Got any ideas on how we can get rid of these blood pops?” As far as he remembered, Renaye’s plan said nothing about the creepy pops. Zane was eager to get rid of them as soon as possible.
“Just one more thing,” he could feel the blushing come back, worse than ever. Merlin, was this really even happening? “Erm, you don’t have to say yes if you don’t want to, but… do you want to go to the ball with me?”
There, he had said it. It felt like a large stone had been taken off his chest – thank Merlin that was over. Yes or no, it didn’t matter anymore. At least now he didn’t feel like he was going to be sick.
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Zane
Surprisingly well
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Zane
0
5
Renaye
January 03, 2008 12:48 PM
That's a relief by Renaye
“Nothing tastes worse than a loss,” he agreed, “Law thinks it’s silly, but I can’t stand to lose.”Renaye nodded. "I know what you mean," she said. "I don't mind if it's to an honestly better team that we would have no chance against anyway, but if it's a backyard game of Quidditch? No way. I think I'll hold a grudge for a bit, thanks." She wasn't exactly holding a grudge against Josh. This was just a fun little game of prank-tag. They did it all the time, but sadly, this year's potential had been lost. It was time to reclaim it, in Raye's opinion.
“I’d love to see the look on Josh’s face when he wakes up to one of these. Got any ideas on how we can get rid of these blood pops?”
Renaye blinked her green eyes. No, not really. Tricking someone into taking them was the obvious answer, but still a little too boring for her tastes. Suckers can get very sticky the second they have been in contact with the holder's mouth. Maybe they could stick them somewhere or do something to that effect?
"I don't know," Renaye said, "Maybe we could stick the things somewhere. I don't have as much inspiration for those."
“Just one more thing. Erm, you don’t have to say yes if you don’t want to, but…
Whoa.
Do you want to go to the ball with me?”
Whoa. Raye was a little surprised by it, but not disappointed in the least. Zane was a fun guy and they both had similar intests: Quidditch, example numero uno. It would be a lot of fun to go with him! The ball had been approaching for a while and she hadn't paid that much mind to getting a date. If she had to go by herself, that was cool with her. It was always an option to hunt down the other singles in the room. But now she didn't have to! Awesome awesome stuff.
"Yeah," she said with a grin. "Yeah, I'd love to!" Renaye saw the awkward silence fast approaching. She didn't like the sound of it, so she decided it was time to say something.
"So," she said, picking up one of the bugs, "When do you want to put these little babies into action?"
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Renaye
That's a relief
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Renaye
0
5
Zane
January 07, 2008 5:42 PM
For you and me both by Zane
Zane listened to Renaye’s take on losing and Quidditch, and couldn’t help but grin. She was so normal for a girl; it truly was amazing, really. Zane knew he ought to thank Merlin for the Warrens, he didn’t know what this year would have been like without them.“Hmm,” he said, contemplating usage for the suckers, “What would happen if we melted them?” He’d never melted lollipops before, but thought that melted pops that looked and tasted like blood might have an interesting effect, especially on the particularly squeamish.
She said yeah! He couldn’t stop grinning and he was sure he knew why. Just like that, everyone was made happy – his mother was sure to be pleased; he was happy because he knew what could have been a potentially boring night might actually be fun; and of course, Renaye seemed pretty happy about the whole thing as well. No longer having a reason to be anxious himself, he could now go back to annoying Law and Ronen about the ball. They in turn, would probably taunt him for actually having someone to go with. Basically, it would be life as usual.
“Cool,” was all he could say, more relaxed than he had been throughout the greater part of the conversation.
“Soon as you want to should be good for me,” he declared. As he had never cared very much about studying, and couldn’t obsess over Quidditch half as much as he liked, he never really had very much on his agenda. Especially at night, when they would probably set up the prank. Josh would most likely have to be asleep, of course. Was Josh a light sleeper? That could certainly hinder things. Was Zane supposed to know stuff like that about his only roommate? Probably, but in all honesty he wasn’t the most observant of people.
“Josh’ll probably sleep right through the set up of things, right?” he asked. The brown-eyed boy didn’t want to outright ask the question, feeling restrained by his own vanity. After all, the boy didn’t want to sound like a total idiot, in case he ought to have noticed something obvious about his roomie’s sleeping habits by now.
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Zane
For you and me both
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Zane
0
5
Renaye
January 07, 2008 8:39 PM
Re: For you and me both by Renaye
Renaye smiled to herself at Zane's one word reaction to her response. She found herself really looking forward to this dance now. She wasn't the most skilled dancer, but she wasn't exactly challenged in that field. It should be fun! Raye hoped the music was going to be good... She would probably internally combust if she was surrounded by classical music the whole time. She needed some exciting, get-up-and-dance music! It was okay if Zane didn't like to dance or something. She wasn't going to be one of those horrible dates that dragged someone onto the dance floor, just because they were her date. Would it be cool if he was one of those "Sure, I'll dance" guys? Yeah, of course. If not, no big deal. Some girls were just... yeah, not going to go there.“What would happen if we melted them?” Renaye sat up a little straighter. That was an idea... She vaguely wondered how many hungry students would mistake it for ketchup... Or maybe a staged duel... All of these would be so extremely entertaining, but also very risky, and very likely to get caught...
"I like the sound of it," she said, examining a red lollipop. "But then what? My mind is kind of stuck right now..." When she asked when he wanted to kick this plan into action, he said, “Soon as you want to should be good for me.”
"Okay," she said. "What about this weekend? It should be on a weekend that way we won't be tired for classes the next day. And it'll give us time to go over the plan. But is that good with you?"
“Josh’ll probably sleep right through the set up of things, right?”
Raye grinned. "He's not a light sleeper, but we will have to be quiet." Renaye always thought that the danger of the situation made these things a little more fun. It was a bit of an adrenaline rush to be carrying on with a plan with the occasional moment of panic. It just made the whole thing more fun when it was over with. She was sure he wouldn't be mad. Josh doesn't get mad over stuff like this.
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Renaye
Re: For you and me both
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Renaye
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5
Zane
January 11, 2008 10:32 PM
I take it you agree by Zane
Zane still couldn’t believe he was taking part in a prank, or at least, taking part in the planning of one. He was usually somewhat more serious of a person than that; in any case, he’d always thought his little brother’s pranking to be annoying and immature. Yet here he was, sitting on the floor of the common room and rattling his brain for ideas on the most entertaining use of melted pops. How terribly strange.“I don’t know… maybe we could somehow work it into the prank with Josh?” Zane proposed, “I know it would freak me out if I woke up and saw stuff that looked like blood everywhere.” He figured it couldn’t really be that much nastier than waking up to the cockroaches.
“This weekend should be okay,” Zane confirmed. He rarely ever spent much time on his homework, anyway. The only thing he really had planned for this weekend was the usual Sunday afternoon he tried to spend with his cousin and brother every week. Usually they just chilled and tried to catch up on whatever was going on in each of their lives. Sure they went to the same school and all, but they were all in different houses and had different friends. Zane sometimes went days without talking to either of his relations. Their small weekly reunions seemed natural to hold, as family had always been very important to Zane.
Glad to have his question answered without having to look stupid, the curly-haired boy gave a nod. He’d have to store that into his memory for later usage – it was a good idea to know such things about one’s roommate to help keep the peace inside the room. Fortunately, Josh and Zane had always gotten along exceptionally well, and Zane couldn’t recall a fight of any kind.
“Well,” he said, rubbing his hands together enterprisingly, “This certainly should be interesting. Just one thing – should I hide all of this stuff, or do you think we should split it up between us, in case Josh sees it?” He’d never make Renaye take all of the creepy candy; he thought that would be just plain mean. But it was certainly easier to store a small stash of candy than a larger one.
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Zane
I take it you agree
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Zane
0
5
Raye
January 12, 2008 11:27 PM
You've guessed right. Sorry I don't have your prize... by Raye
Renaye was getting pretty excited about all of this. This was going to be priceless! Josh wasn't afraid of bugs or anything, but who would want to wake up to cockroaches? No one. It's just freaky. This is why Renaye was expecting such a great reaction from her twin. She pictured him jumping up with a yell, getting tangled in the floss, and finally tumbling over onto the ground while Zane and Raye stood watching, laughing.“I don’t know… maybe we could somehow work it into the prank with Josh?” Zane proposed, “I know it would freak me out if I woke up and saw stuff that looked like blood everywhere.”
Renaye nodded. If you melted those blood pops down they would probably match the paint on the walls of the Crotalus common room. Paint...
"Oh!" She exclaimed, "What if, just a thought, we used it as face paint? Write "OWNED" on his forehead or something? That way, the prank doesn't stop after he's seen all the stuff directly around him."
“Well,” he said, “This certainly should be interesting. Just one thing – should I hide all of this stuff, or do you think we should split it up between us, in case Josh sees it?”
"Yeah, we should split it. Is it okay if I stick you with the bugs? I doubt my roommates would take it well if I walked into my dorm with these..." She held up a cockroach and gave a short laugh, "Though it would be great to see their faces, I doubt they would take it well."
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Raye
You've guessed right. Sorry I don't have your prize...
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Raye
0
5
Zane
January 13, 2008 2:45 PM
I'll take an IOU by Zane
Okay, so the “OWNED” bit sounded like something straight out of Ronen’s head, but Zane didn’t really mind. It was kind of silly, but then it was also a useful way to get rid of the dreaded candies. He’d have to remember to write Hannah a thank you note after the prank was over, as this was sure to be entertaining.“That could definitely work,” he nodded, “It would certainly be interesting to see how all the kids in Crotalus react to that.” Zane had been in Crotalus long enough to know that it wasn’t exactly home to the most animated of people, not that he minded. Sometimes he liked quiet, and being serious for a while. But he liked balance too, and for every serious moment, there ought to be a moment to be somewhat ridiculous as well. This was one of those somewhat ridiculous moments.
“It’s cool with me,” he agreed to Renaye’s plan of dividing the candies, “I can just hear them screaming about it now.” The Crotalus girls were a very odd bunch indeed, excluding Laurie and Renaye, of course. But the rest of them just seemed so… so girly . It was scary, really. Oh, he knew there was an Anabel and a Cecily and an Addie in there, but if pressed to identify them, he couldn’t tell the apart. They seemed to be girly girls, and girly girls were just plain strange, Zane didn’t get them. Girls ought to be normal, like Laurie and Renaye. He was sure the world would be a better place for it.
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Zane
I'll take an IOU
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Zane
0
5
Raye
January 16, 2008 1:44 PM
I'll put the check in the mail. by Raye
“That could definitely work,” he nodded, “It would certainly be interesting to see how all the kids in Crotalus react to that.”The idea of Josh actually walking around with something painted on his face never seemed appealing to Renaye. She had actually meant so just he could see it. It would be way too mean to actually let him walk around like that. He was, after all, still her brother. Maybe the way she had explained it made it seem like she wanted others to see too. This prank was purely for Zane's and Renaye's enjoyment. She couldn't humiliate Josh. That was one thing he would be very mad about.
"Um," she said a little slowly, "I didn't mean letting him walk around with it... Just a little thing that he can see in the mirror and wash off, know what I mean? I couldn't let him walk around like that."
“It’s cool with me,” he agreed to Renaye’s plan of dividing the candies, “I can just hear them screaming about it now.”
Renaye laughed a little. "Yeah, I don't need to give them another reason to hate me," she said. Renaye didn't so much mind the isolation. She could deal with that, no problem, whatever. Her problem was that this whole thing seemed to blow up from one agruement. No problems though. As long as she had Irene and Josh she was good. Zane and Laruie were awesome. Keeping them around seemed like a good idea.
"I want to go flying..." Renaye said, not really getting the thought from anywhere. She just wanted to go to the Quidditch Pitch with her broom and get some of that high-up air. The air when you're flying is much different than the air just plain outside. It's crisper, cleaner, clensing. Raye was probably addicted for life and she wasn't about to quit.
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Raye
I'll put the check in the mail.
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Raye
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5
Zane
January 18, 2008 3:12 PM
I love getting mail! by Zane
Zane had to admit that he was somewhat disappointed that he had misconstrued Renaye's words. For the most part, he'd always found disposition of the members of his house to be agreeable, at least, more so than any other house. But he was also a (soon to be) twelve year-old boy, and a twelve year-old boy needs a little excitement now and then. The preteen would have loved to see how people would react to a hysterical first year."Better make sure he sees a mirror before he goes out, then," Zane voiced, recalling his cousin's bedroom in New Jersey. It looked as if a hurricane had been through there sometimes, and often the mirror and desk were covered by clothes and the like. Finding a needle in a haystack had to be easier than finding anything in Ronen’s room. Zane gave his cousin a lot of credit for being able to navigate that catastrophe of a room day in and day out. His own room was never like that, of course, he took great pride in being neat. As far as he was concerned, everything had its place in the world, and things ought to stay in their place.
For instance, his place was up in the air on a broom. It was the only place where the kids back home would shut up about his height (or lack thereof). In the air, everyone was equal, no matter how short they might be. Height had always been a sensitive topic for him, especially because Law had always been so tall, and they were only a year apart. It wasn’t that he was so many inches shorter than the average kid, but put him next to Law and he looked like a shrimp. Law always reassured him that one day Zane was going to hit a growth spurt and be just as tall, but Zane wasn’t so sure about that. What if one day, his little brother Ted grew to be taller than him too, leaving Zane as the shortest one in the family? How embarrassing would that be?
“Like now?” he asked, instantly perking up and sitting up a little bit straighter at the mentioning of his favorite pastime. He would have dropped everything – the prank plans, the candies – and left them right there if Renaye wanted to go flying now. Zane wanted to go flying all the time, actually, and it was only the fear of Howlers from his mother that kept him from going more often.
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Zane
I love getting mail!
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Zane
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Renaye
January 22, 2008 8:03 PM
Who doesn't? by Renaye
Renaye laughed, nodding in agreement at Zane's comment about a mirror. She would have to make sure that happened. She wouldn't allow her brother to become known as some cruel nickname that had to do with the humiliation of walking around like that. She would do that to someone she really felt deserved it, but to Josh, her brother, her best friend, nah.Zane looked instantly more interested when she mentioned flying. She couldn't blame him. The lack of Quidditch this year was absolute torture. How can someone go this long without even a scrimage, she had no idea. She especially had no idea to how she and Josh did it. Watching Irene's match was torture. They had stood there, watching her soar around before the match with the worst envy you could imagine. No resentment towards Irene, just envy. But when she brought up the topic, Zane responded with, “Like now?”
Renaye's green eyes snapped up. She wanted to jump up, say Yes!, and race to her room for her Avalanche. Could they really go flying right now? Renaye was feeling pretty rebellious... The rule was "No first years on the team," but did that mean they couldn't fly? Right now she really didn't care much. Raye felt a smile slowly emerge.
"You willing to risk it? Detention is better with company," she said. Renaye knew that Uncle Mike would probably commend her for going against this sort of rule, but she didn't want to get Zane into some random trouble. Renaye's parents were in Egypt right now. 'Even if they got a letter of me breaking the rules they would probably only tell me off in two sentences in a letter, she thought bitterly. She suddenly wanted to this a lot more, with or without Zane. She would get Irene and/or Josh if she really felt the need for company.
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Renaye
Who doesn't?
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Renaye
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Zane
January 26, 2008 10:59 PM
Post office workers? by Zane
If only Zane had been born a year earlier. Then he’d be a second year now, and would have missed all of the new restrictions placed upon first years on the Pitch. He could even be on the Quidditch team. But Law had been born first, and Law was the one who had missed all of the new rules, and Law was the one who got to play on his house Quidditch team. It just wasn’t fair.“It’s not like they can ban us from the Pitch for a whole year,” Zane rationalized, “And besides, when we’re up that high, how is anyone going to know that we’re first years?” So long as they could fly competently (and Zane liked to think that he could do even better than that) he didn’t think there was any reason for anyone to get upset that he was out flying without any supervision. There had to be upperclassmen who were worse fliers than he.
Of course, if they did get caught, he wouldn’t put it past his mother to send a Howler, or an army of Howlers. She had much less to do nowadays, now that two of her three sons were out of the house. And she had always been quite adamant about following rules, something Zane had always agreed with, until now. Rules were important, they were there for a reason, but some rules were just plain ridiculous. First years not being allowed to fly on their own more than halfway into the year was one of those ridiculous rules. So was he willing to risk it?
“Meet you back down here in five minutes?” he proposed as he began to clean up the candies. He’d have to find a really good hiding spot for the roaches, and get his gloves and goggles and stuff. A stop at the broom closet would also be necessary – Zane’s parents hadn’t allowed him to take a broom to school.
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Zane
Post office workers?
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Zane
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Renaye
January 30, 2008 7:49 PM
Nah, I think they secretly enjoy it. by Renaye
“It’s not like they can ban us from the Pitch for a whole year,” Zane rationalized, “And besides, when we’re up that high, how is anyone going to know that we’re first years?”Renaye was pretty sure that they could ban them for next year, but Zane made a great point. Who was going to be able to tell? Renaye wasn't worried about anyone's reaction but the schools. Her parents might care, but really, what can they do from Egypt? Only person she would worry about was her uncle, and Uncle Mike would probably commend her for it! Renaye felt the excitement growing about this rebellious action. When Zane said to meet in five minutes she grinned and gathered her share of the candies before turning and dashing to her dorm.
Renaye pushed open the door, crossing to her bed where she stuffed the 'sweets' under her pillow. Raye looked behind her headboard, scanning for her Avalanche, her most prized possession here at Sonora. She saw it, just in the place she had last left it, leaning against the bedpost. A small film of dust covered it, but she knew that was blow away easily. Renaye threw on an old long-sleeve shirt that she had gotten this past summer for playing in Traverse City. She loved that team and the navy blue jersey with Warren Twin #1 printed in yellow above a large number 7. Josh had one like it, but he usually wore the t-shirt that just said 'Warren' on it. They had always worn these shirts to practices though. The Traverse City Tigers had almost gone to the finals. Almost. Too bad their keeper got a concusion in the previous match, leaving them to use Lynnie, the dramatic beauty-queen. Who couldn't catch. Renaye hadn't realized how much she missed being on the pitch until she was about to fly. She tossed her light blonde hair into a ponytail, leaving her bangs to hang forward. Renaye couldn't help but grin as she grabbed her broom and trooped back down the stairs.
"Hey!" She said, reached the bottom of the stairs, jumping the last two, "Ready to do this?"
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Renaye
Nah, I think they secretly enjoy it.
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Renaye
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5