Sonora here I come again on Cascade Hall

Sophia Randolph

January 08, 2012 5:50 PM

Sonora here I come again by Sophia Randolph

Midterm had come and gone, and Sophia was back to school. Sonora had always been her safe haven from her real life, but now it just felt awkward to be here. And home was also pretty awkward. The now fifth-year -- wow! Where had time gone to? -- had made not so very bright decisions during the summer and they had come back to kick her in the bum. The Pecari’s reaction to the happenings of the ball had not been her best decisions, really. She felt awkward at school, and she felt awkward at home. It was one of those cases were the teenager didn’t even feel comfortable in her own skin. She didn’t know what she wanted, or needed, or actually hoped for. The sad thing was that she didn’t even have her best friend anymore. Stupid Renée and her stupid antics and ideas that always got her into trouble. Why couldn’t she be a normal friend!? It was quite annoying. The younger girl had single-handedly destroyed their epic friendship.

Sophia just didn’t feel like doing anything, at all. Throughout the year, she had been ignoring Renée, and she still couldn’t figure out what the in the name of Merlin had happened. One moment they were having a ton of fun dancing around and the next Renée was kissing her. It had been awkward and the blonde still couldn’t shake that feeling whenever she thought about her friend. The Pecari hadn’t seen or owled Renée since the end of last term. Then again, she was blaming her for everything that had happened during the summer. The thing with Fred had been a mistake and she had cried for weeks. Of course, her mother had seen her crying her eyes out for days, and she couldn’t stay away. After a couple of days of harassment on her mother’s part, Sophia had finally confessed what she had done with a tear-stained face. Andrea Randolph had comforted her only child with hugs, ice-cream and words of wisdom. It had felt great to share her news with someone.

Midterm around Fred had been more than awkward. He had tried to hang out with her, but she had declined. It was too weird! Or what if he wanted it again? She wasn’t prepared for that. He had left her house with a sad expression. Sophia was too confused to think about boys and girls or relationships. One thing was for certain, she certainly did like Fred.

Sophia was thinking about the complicated twists her life had gone through since the end of last term without looking where she was going. She had been like that since her return from midterm. She looked up from the floor and her green eyes landed on the doors to the Cascade Hall. She tilted her head and decided that a snack was a pretty good alternative.

Opening the doors as carefully as she could, she entered the one place in all of the school that always amazed her with its beauty: the Cascade Hall. She smiled and spotted a bowl of fruit in a nearby table. She sat down and began playing with the orange she had picked up before peeling it. Oranges was one of her favorite fruits. Sophia smacked his lips and took a bit of the segment of orange. It was really good.

She was very into eating her snack that she didn’t realize when someone sat down in the same table as her.

0 Sophia Randolph Sonora here I come again 167 Sophia Randolph 1 5

Kirstenna Melcher

January 09, 2012 11:45 AM

We'll take it by storm by Kirstenna Melcher

Midterm had passed as usual, aside from the disturbing fact that her cousin had married the Beetle Lady. A woman who, basically, wanted to turn people into beetles was now technically part of her family . Granted, a distant part-Seth's father was her grandfather's cousin, Kirstenna thought-of the side of the family that didn't seem to care for her, but still, part of her family and that sincerely creeped her out.

Oh, and Kirstenna was convinced that that pale red-eyed Teppenpaw first year was really the offspring of a ghost and human which made him the embodiment of all evil, like on this show she'd seen over break. The human was, of course, the Imposter-who was, in fact, human, just a very very bad one-and someone whom she'd killed for this purpose was the ghost.

Actually, come to think of it, it could be worse. Derry had the Imposter posing as his disowned cousin and said cousin had also been evil. And, of course, the Imposter was actually her roommate's distant cousin. Not to mention that Jane had Alasdair Carey as family, though not close family and he was still out there somewhere. A truly terrifying thought, as he was as big of a boegyman to Kirstenna as the Imposter, except for the fact, that the Imposter was here and a threat to her and everyone else on a daily basis. Merlin, what if the Imposter was in cahoots with Alasdair, and hiding him somewhere? Probably not the hotel room in Gallup, New Mexico, because that was more of a prison but she had to have other hideouts.

Anyway, now she was back at Sonora and admittedly, Kirstenna felt a bit lonely. Quentin had graduated and she didn't really talk to the rest of her cousins. She didn't like to think about it much, but the Teppenpaw wasn't entirely sure that they would even accept her. She was a halfblood, her mother was a muggle. Plus, Kirstenna had grown up in the circus and her grandparents seemed to think that was a very bad thing.

She looked around the Cascade hall for somewhere to sit, someone to sit by, when she spotted Sophia, the girl whom she'd once thought was her best friend. Unfortunately, they really weren't now, the Pecari seemed to be best friends with Renee, brought under the younger girl's dark power. Kirstenna was worried about that of course, and she didn't blame the other fifth year, she blamed the Imposter for unleashing Renee upon the school in the first place.

Still, it hurt. Kirstenna basically felt cast aside and much as she didn't want to admit it, it made her quite sad. The fifth year was a Teppenpaw for a reason, and she valued friendships quite a bit and Sophia being all buddy-buddy with Renee rather than her just added to her feelings of loneliness. Kirstenna didn't really have a best friend anymore. In fact, who did she have? Sam? The Quidditch team? It just wasn't the same as a best friend. Someone that she could share her secrets with and well, talk about boys with. She couldn't do that with Derry and certainly not with Sam and it might even get awkward discussing certain boys with Kate.

Maybe now, though, while her former best friend was without her dark shadow, they could patch things up. Besides, Kirstenna didn't see anyone else she wanted to sit by really and so she took a seat across from Sophia. "Um, hi." The Teppenpaw greeted her yearmate.

11 Kirstenna Melcher We'll take it by storm 161 Kirstenna Melcher 0 5

Sophia

January 11, 2012 9:41 PM

You think? by Sophia

Sophia looked up and saw Kirstenna Melcher sitting by her. It had been a while since she had last spoken to her, probably because she had been too caught up with Renée to give her first friend at Sonora the time of day. She felt sort of bad for that. It wasn’t very friendly-like of her to just ignore the other girl because she had found someone else to spend her time with. Now that she was having issues with Renée, she realized that alienating her other friends wasn’t the best idea ever. The truth was that she had been inside Renée’s charm for a long time, until the younger girl had popped that little bubble with that kiss. The bubble had been quite comfortable for a few years. Renée was full of surprises, part of why Sophia had been orbiting around her for so long.

She smiled brightly at Kirstenna, “Hello.” Her tone was cheery and friendly. There was no reason for her to be rude to her. She had been for a very long time, and she was determined to make it up to her. She took a bite of a piece of orange before looking down and realizing that her spot in the table was messy with all the orange’s peel. She wrinkled her nose and busily began cleaning her mess with a napkin. “Sorry,” she muttered to no one in particular.

Her attention was now focused on the blonde girl. “How are you? Did you have a good midterm?” Sophia knew Kirstenna lived in a circus with her parents, and she found it extremely exciting. It wasn’t every day that you met someone like her. Kirstenna was special; from her years of knowing her she had decided that she was somewhat out there, but she liked her nonetheless. Even after a lot of time of not hanging out with her she still liked the girl. Liking someone didn’t disappear out of the blue. She still liked Renée, and that was something that wouldn’t just go away. Besides she kind of still thought about the kiss. That little action had started a series of events that had ended in a very disappointed Pecari, and she couldn’t stop thinking about it. She didn’t know what it has meant to Renée or her for that matter. It was very complicated, but it was something she didn’t want to share with anyone.

0 Sophia You think? 0 Sophia 0 5

Kirstenna

January 19, 2012 11:24 AM

Certainly by Kirstenna

Kirstenna returned her once best friend's smile. So far, so good. Hopefully they would soon be on their way to being close once again. She wasn't so naive to think that just a smile made everything okay once again but it was at least a sign that Sophia didn't hate her. Honestly, Kirstenna really never thought that. She just thought that it was Renee's dark power attracting the Pecari.

Nothing was anyone's fault, except, of course, the Imposter's. The fifth year wasn't sure precisely what her nemesis's motivation was overall but she did know that the Imposter had it in for Kirstenna personally, because Kirstenna was on to her. The Teppenpaw also assumed the Quidditch Coach wanted to take over Sonora, to have the school fully in her power. That was why she'd caused the previous Headmaster to have family problems. Headmistress Kijewski had to be in critical danger!

And she had a son too! Oh, Merlin, what if the Imposter went after Headmistress Kijewski's child ? She'd gone after Headmaster Regal's family and poisoned Headmistress Powell. The Imposter wanted absolute power and would stop at nothing to get it. She had to be angry that she'd been passed over for Head of Sonora.

Of course, hopefully, those on the school board, and the major donors would stop her from absolute power. Actually, come to think of it, that was probably why the Imposter hadn't succeeded in becoming Headmistress. Because she was posing as Amelia Pierce, not exactly someone the pureblood community approved of, even if they didn't know she was also a dark witch. Who was dead but being posed as by another dark witch.

Right now, though, Kirstenna would have to put that out of her mind. She was more concerned with reconciling with her once best friend. "My midterm was great. We were scheduled to be in Milwaukee again so we did the show there and I got to see some of the local sites. We went to the domes this year. They were pretty but the rainforest one was so hot inside! We also got invited to my cousin's wedding to Professor Crosby but we didn't go because of the show schedule." That was admittedly for the best, not only because her and her mother would be out of place at an event full of purebloods, but because Kirstenna would have said something about how the bride wanted to turn people into beetles.

11 Kirstenna Certainly 161 Kirstenna 0 5

Renée Errant

January 22, 2012 5:32 AM

Pfft, I doubt it. by Renée Errant

Animals were easier than humans but Renée enjoyed things when they got hard. Sophia turned out harder to deal with than expected. First her nearness, her closeness, the pleasant uncomfortable way their hips had touched in dance and it had seemed called for for Renée to push up and kiss her. To lightly grasp Sophia’s dress and kiss her. To continue pressing behind the wall she’d pulled them behind and kiss her. It had been fun, it had felt nice, a tiny spark, a thrill, but then Sophia was gone, silent, swallowed by Sonora and Renée was alone.

No letters over the summer. That had been surprising, a little hard, but easy not to dwell on. Summer had been eventful enough without letters from her best friend. Only friend. Then back to school, nothing. Maybe a glance, but Sophia’s eyes would pass over her. Renée sat in the back of class. Blond hair and green eyes she’d never look into again. Lips she’d never brush against. That was okay too. She had Quidditch to distract her. Sophia didn’t exist within the air. Only Quaffles and bludgers, wind and sun and rain and not even Renée. Midterm came and midterm passed and nothing left was there to distract her. And Sophia wasn’t there either.

‘Snack time.’ No classes right then, so Renée slipped in through the doors, her hair in the midst of fully drying from the shower she’d recently taken. The curls a little straightened, longer than usual, ending just below her developing breasts. Her robes were tighter now around her from the slight weight she had gained, a fair amount of it muscle but also just products of her eating more. Breakfast and then a snack, lunch and then a snack, dinner and then two helpings of dessert and then a midnight snack. Fruit today, but also pudding was offered. She grabbed a bowl of it, settling down happily into the seat of the fairly vacant room. Not many people were there. She contented herself with scooping the dark chocolaty creamy filling into her mouth, smiling with her eyes closed, a deep contented moan emitting from her throat at the pure pleasure the pudding was giving her.

Her eyes opened and even pudding couldn’t make her feel good. ‘She’s smiling.’ Sophia Randolph was a few tables away, engaged in conversation with another girl whose back was to Renée. Didn’t matter who she was, only that she could make Sophia smile. “No.” That was just - well, of course Sophia was free to have her own friends but - this - no. “No.” She was saying no, unsure what she was protesting, a little aware that she was standing, pudding bowl trying to call her back to sweet nirvana, but apparently her body was craving rejection and hell. She began to walk toward Sophia, her dark brown eyes widened with conflicting emotions.

“Listen,” She plopped down directly next to Sophia, her dark tanned hands leaping immediately for her former friend’s. “I didn’t mean anything by it, okay? I only meant - it was only supposed to mean nothing. I like you, that’s all.” Her eyes shut, and she leaned forward before she knew she was leaning forward and for the second time her lips found Sophia’s and she pressed against her lightly, quickly, then pulled back. “That’s all I meant. I don’t want you to be mad at me anymore.” Her eyes showed more clearly her frustration, sadness softening the expression as she tilted her head up a little, searching Sophia’s green gaze. Her statement was little more than a demand - ‘Start talking to me, dammit!’ - the tone beseeching and yet held a hint of an order. “So don’t be.” She hesitated, bit her lip, completely oblivious to the other girl’s presence, locked into Sophia, trying to determine what the next few seconds would bring; total rejection (seemed likely, very possible) or something else that Renée could feel comforted by, take delight in.

0 Renée Errant Pfft, I doubt it. 0 Renée Errant 0 5

Sophia

January 26, 2012 4:10 PM

...... by Sophia

Sophia listened intently to what Kirstenna was saying. In an attempt to concentrate on other things than Renée and the abysmal consequences of what had happened last term. It was really working, because Sophia liked hearing about Kirstenna’s exciting life as part of a circus. Some of the time she had fantasized about having a life just like that, where she didn’t have any worries about anything. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she was still struggling with the fact that her paternal family didn’t like her or her mother. She just couldn’t process how her father’s parents had just stopped loving him like that. The Pecari had been raised in a very loving environment and her parents had made sure that she knew every day how much they loved her. It was a nice childhood, especially because she had been an only child and received their love without sharing with anyone. She had her parents’ special girl, conceived after years of trying and the only one that she knew of.

“That sounds awesome!” she practically squealed out of excitement. Kirstenna’s life sounded so much more fun than hers, but she was sure there was a downside to it. Nothing was perfect in life, herself included. The Prefect – she was still getting used to that title – smiled, “You were invited to Professor Crosby’s wedding.” She just repeated what Kirstenna had stated. Sophia liked weddings, even when she hadn’t attended one. They just seemed to be filled with pretty things and happy people. Sophia liked happy people, because their happiness was contagious, and she liked being happy.

The Pecari was about to ask Kirstenna more about her midterm when someone plopped next to her and talked. She recognized the voice immediately, since it was that voice that had haunted her for all of the summer and half of the year. She looked at the younger girl and opened her mouth to say something to her, when Renée began talking about something she couldn’t understand out of surprise and then she leaned and kissed her again. She froze on the spot, unable to move a muscle. The blonde girl blinked a couple of times not really knowing how to react. She had been kissed, again, by Renée. And like last time, she was confused about it. She liked her, but it was a weird mixture of emotions going through her.

“I,” she looked at Kirstenna and then at Renée again. She opened her mouth trying to find the words, to react to what had happened. It was so frustrating! Why couldn’t she form coherent sentences? She got up, “I think I better go.” Without thinking she ran out of the Cascade Hall. It seemed that she was going to be stalked by Renée until she graduated. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see her again, but she had been taken by surprise and that was something she liked to do to other people, not when people did it to her.

0 Sophia ...... 0 Sophia 0 5