Misfits Unite! (Tag Laila, Sammy, and Wu) on Magical Arts Room and Sports

Gia Donovan (and a small portion of Jax)

November 26, 2016 9:31 PM

Misfits Unite! (Tag Laila, Sammy, and Wu) by Gia Donovan (and a small portion of Jax)

Gia had sent out letters to the original group of friends that had made all the difference to her when she had first started at Sonora. Each letter simply asked for them to meet her in the MARS music room. The letter to Peizhi was a little more detailed as Gia asked for her to come and that she felt that what Gia had to say may clear her feelings to her and hopefully start again. It had been a difficult couple of months for Gia where she felt like she was drowning all of the time and really having no one to talk to about it. Sutton had been rather kind to her, keeping her company when everyone else was too busy (although Gia felt this was mostly just them avoiding her and not because they actually had anything to do). It was actually Sutton who had convinced Gia to speak up to her friends and let them know how she was feeling.

None of them really knew the sort of guilt that was always consuming her. Guilt at having to hide who her family really were and what her brother became once a month. Guilt at not being able to openly tell people that she liked both males and females. Guilt over not being able to talk to her brother about how confused she was in how to help Sammy. Guilt over the fact that she couldn’t help Sammy. Guilt over supporting her brother and his relationship with Joella even though she knew it was hurting her best friend. Guilt over upsetting Peizhi somehow and not knowing what it was that she had done or how to fix it. Guilt over feeling resentment towards Laila for still being Peizhi’s friend when the Chinese girl had shut everyone else out. Guilt over feeling Guilty.

Gia had already had a meltdown over her feelings once with which Sutton had the lovely opportunity to walk in on. She knew that if she was going to survive her fifth year at Sonora, she needed to speak up and clear the air with everyone. She just wasn’t sure if everyone would come or not.

She smiled to her brother, who would always support her, as he sat down in one of the seats that she had put out. She was not on a stage, but just standing in front of the seats. She didn’t want anyone to feel weird with anyone else, but she hoped that they would come for her. Gia made sure the song ‘Lost Boy’ was playing in the background as people started to come in. The moment she had heard the song, it became her song for them.

She smiled once everyone was there and had taken their seats and took a deep breath. “Hello, thank you for agreeing to see me.” She started, feeling rather awkward even those these were the people she had felt the closest to. “I know things haven’t been very good for us this year or last,” She said, looking at Peizhi, “but I wanted to share with you just how important all of you are to me.” Gia took another breath, trying to keep her voice steady. “Friends are not easy for Jax and I to make. We spent the majority of our life moving from place to place and what connections we were able to make never lasted very long. We were always picked on for being different and poor, people would pretend to be our friends just so they could joke about it later. I was naive about it, I know. Jax always warned me, but I always thought better of people than he did.” Gia gave a soft smile to her brother, but he was only frowning at her, so she hurried along.

“Sonora became my home in many ways. We had lovely home cooked meals every day, all day. Adults to care for us. Nice warm beds for us to sleep in. And you all.” Gia gestured to those in front of her. She paused to allow the song to be heard. “This song is one that makes me think of all of you. I was lost and without a real home and then Peter Pan came along with all of his friends, Wendy, and Tinker Bell, and let me join in with them so that I was never alone again.” Gia always envisioned Sammy as Peter Pan because she had that special way about her. Peihzi was Wendy and Laila was Tinker Bell. Her brother was the Man on the Moon who went away sometimes. They probably wouldn’t get the reference, but in her head the song warmed her.

“You have all become my family. Our family. I know that I have not expressed myself well enough for this to be understood, but I feel like you need to know now because I fear as though I have done something terrible to each of you to make you lose your trust and faith in me.” She had been doing so well to keep her emotions in check, but now that she admitted her fear, her chin trembled and tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

“I have tried so very hard to be there for you, but perhaps I was not doing enough? I know when you are in pain but when I reach out for you, you pull away, brush me aside or stop talking to me altogether.” Gia sniffled and tried to take another deep breath, but she was afraid that a sob would come up instead, so she just trudged on. “I do not know what I have done wrong for things to be this way between us and I am sorry for that. I am so sorry for not being the better friend that you have needed. I will do better, I promise. I will do whatever it is that you need for me to do. Please do not shut me out anymore.” She was crying too hard now to really speak, but she managed a feeble ‘I’m sorry’ once more before hiding her face behind her hands.

OOC: Laila, Sammy, and Wu’s author all specified that they would attend (and Laila would have coaxed Wu into going). The song is ‘Lost Boy’ by Ruth B

6 Gia Donovan (and a small portion of Jax) Misfits Unite! (Tag Laila, Sammy, and Wu) 308 Gia Donovan (and a small portion of Jax) 1 5

Laila Kennedy

December 05, 2016 1:20 AM

Unification, communication, what about a stress vacation? by Laila Kennedy

During the course of Gia’s speech, Laila was feeling a range of different emotions. She had known how difficult it was for Wu to come (and had needed to do a bit of cajoling herself to ensure the other fourth year’s presence) and throughout it, her eyes kept darting to Wu to see how she was feeling. She had barely been paying attention to the song lyrics, but when Gia pointed them out, she wondered who it was she was supposed to be. She had never been a fan of any of the female characters in Disney’s Peter Pan and couldn’t remember the original fairy tale well enough to know if the book counterparts were much different from their animated duplicates.

Certainly one of the things she felt was guilt. Gia talked about how they had all been pushing her away, and Laila knew what that felt like—so many times had she herself felt like she was on the outside of the trio of fifth years and not only because she was the youngest. Gia and Jax were siblings, after all, and Sammy was Gia’s best friend and roommate. Laila had always felt like the extra, fourth wheel on a tricycle that had no need for her. So this guilt was also mixed with a little frustration—what did Gia mean that she thought she had somehow lost each of their trust and faith? It didn’t make any sense. Laila had felt like she was doing the opposite. Sure, she had leapt at the opportunity to get closer to each of them individually—to go to the ball with Jax, to run Spirit Club with Gia, to be a listening ear for Sammy when she felt she couldn’t turn anywhere else, but she didn’t think that just because she had done something with each individually that meant she was excluding Gia.

Mostly what she felt, however, was confusion. It was not her fault that Sammy cared so much about Gia that she didn’t want to burden her with having to choose between Jax and Sammy’s happiness. It was also not her fault that she was the only one Wu seemed to be fully comfortable around. So why was she here? She just felt awkward now. Logically she hadn’t done anything wrong, and things between her and Gia hadn’t seemed awkward when they did things together for Spirit Club. As she looked around the room, her eyes fell on the Jax. Gia didn’t seem to be talking to her brother, so was it possible that she wasn’t directly addressing Laila either? But then she didn’t understand why she was there. She felt really confused. And then her eyes fell on Wu and everything began to click together.

Hadn’t Wu said something about Jax not liking her anymore? Laila tried to remember back to their conversaion that first day back at Sonora earlier in the year, back before everything had really started to come apart but it had been so long ago. Laila knew Jax, he was her friend and she cared about him deeply and she didn’t think he would ever hurt anyone on purpose, but had he perhaps made Wu feel unwelcome in someway? She knew he couldn’t sometimes be a little blunt and Wu seemed to be a sensitive sort of girl—she was a Teppenpaw after all, like Tobi Reinhardt who was probably one of the most sensitive people she knew.

Was it possible that Wu had felt something more than simple companionship for the guy who somehow seemed to be in the middle of what now appeared to be four different matters of the heart? Was it then possible that Laila had not been the first one Wu had reached out to? Her pride hurt a little at this, but various interactions over the past two years now made sense. When Wu had left them, hadn’t Jax insisted it was nothing Gia had done? Wu claimed the distance was because of pureblood rhetoric and parental pressure but had there perhaps been something more there too? Had Wu confessed her feelings for the taciturn sole male of their group only to be rebuffed?

But no, Jax didn’t seem the sort to hold a grudge over something as silly as that. But something must have happened for Wu to have singled out Jax as not wanting to be her friend anymore. What was it that she had said? Jax doesn’t like me anymore? The exact words escaped Laila and she struggled to piece them together. She knew Wu now, she felt like she knew Wu better than anyone else in that room—Wu aside, of course. But she knew Jax too, and she knew he wasn’t the sort to be malicious at all. Yet Sammy, too, had felt uncomfortable talking to Gia because of something to do with Jax although that wasn’t really something that was anyone’s fault—Jax hadn’t known how Sammy felt about Joella. None of them had, it was just bad luck that both of her friends had fallen for the same girl.

What was it that Gia had talked about? People pushing her and Jax away because of their poverty and their being different? Obviously that wasn’t something that Wu seemed to care about—the girl had been placed in Teppenpaw after all, and Laila was pretty sure that there was no such thing as a malevolent Teppenpaw. Her forehead puckered as she thought hard about what was going on, tuning in and out of the conversation that may or may not have been happening around her as she thought. “I think,” she said at long last, drawing out her words carefully as she tried to decide how she was going to phrase it. “That this has all just been one giant misunderstanding. And I’m really sorry how upset it’s all made you, Gia, I don’t think anyone here meant to hurt anyone else at all.”

Laila frowned again as she tried to gather her words together. How was she going to explain her point of view without making more people angry? Without losing Wu’s trust which she had tried to hard to gain, without letting down Sammy who had entrusted her with a vital piece of information which had the power to devastate a couple members of the group and more. Without further hurting Gia’s feelings or isolating her when she already felt isolated, without framing Jax as the bad guy when Laila didn’t even think there was one. “My mom always says that communication is key,” she began, trying to buy herself time. “And I don’t think everyone has been completely honest here. And that’s okay, I think everyone is entitled to their secrets. I have secrets myself that I’ve not told any of you and that I don’t plan on telling anyone because it’s my business. But that means that we have to be understanding then when someone else has a secret they don’t feel like sharing which can be hard. I know I get jealous all the time thinking about how I might be being left out. And I’ve also been really upset this year, but for me, I like to be alone or with my brother.”

Laila hadn’t meant to get into her friendship with Gabe, who she missed now more than ever, but making the sibling link was perhaps important. Maybe it could get everyone thinking about how their relationships with one person might affect their relationships with another. “I spent a few years feeling like I was on the outside of you three, Sammy, Gia, and Jax because you’re all older. And Gia and Jax, you guys are siblings, and Gia and Sammy, you guys are roommates and best friends. But I was okay that you had stronger ties for those reasons, and I think that in a group it’s okay to have different sorts of relationships with each member. I don’t think we always need to share everything we’re feeling especially if we’re worried how our feelings might negatively affect others. And I know none of you meant to make me feel on the outside, it just happened naturally and it’s not something I’m used to so it was really shocking, but I’m pretty sure that all of us have felt like that at some point or another.

“So, I guess I think it’s just important that we all be patient with each other because all of us will slip up or make a mistake or hurt someone’s feelings unintentionally but I don’t think anyone here is a bad person and I don’t think anyone here meant to hurt anyone else. I know I’m sorry if I’ve ever done something to make someone else upset, and if I did I would hope you’ll come talk to me right away so that I don’t do it again.” Laila shrugged. There wasn’t much else for her to say and she still felt completely awkward—she didn’t even know if she was supposed to have spoken, but she didn’t figure Wu, with the other girl’s quiet and shy nature, would be speaking anytime soon and if Sammy’s weird reaction to the last confrontation (to run off babbling about leaving some oven on) was anything to go off she wasn’t if what her other friend had to say would be very constructive or even on topic. Plus, she hated awkward silences.

10 Laila Kennedy Unification, communication, what about a stress vacation? 318 Laila Kennedy 0 5

Gia

December 05, 2016 7:05 PM

Definitely Miscommunication... by Gia

Gia lowered her hands from her face and wiped her cheeks even though the tears were still falling when Laila began to speak. But as Laila spoke, Gia’s facial expression went from distraught to confusion and frustration. What was she talking about? Gia was not asking anyone to tell her their secrets. If she demanded such things, she would be a hypocrite. Was that was Laila heard from her? Is that what she assessed from her words? Had Gia explained herself incorrectly? She knew that English became more difficult for her brain to assess whenever she became emotional, so it was quite possible that she had mixed up her words while she spoke, but she was almost certain that she never said anything about people sharing their secrets with her. Aside from that, Gia already knew Sammy’s secret. She hadn’t said it directly, but there was enough information for Gia to have figured her out last year. And that was what hurt her so much. Sammy knew that Gia knew. She knew but didn’t feel comfortable to help mend her heart?

And then she kept talking and Gia’s guilt nearly burst at hearing the fact that Laila had felt left out because of her relationship with both her brother and her roommate. These were things that she could not control but she had always been careful to include Laila in everything that they were doing. But even that had not been enough. The realization made Gia begin to sob again. She really was a terrible friend. Perhaps that was why Peizhi had stopped talking to her, she had felt left out of their group and didn’t want to be friends with them anymore because of that. Why hadn’t she spoken up about it? Either of them? Gia would have tried to remedy it. She would have made even more of an effort to make sure that they felt included.

She knew that Laila was trying to be helpful by telling her that everyone felt that way, but that was not the point of Gia’s words. She did not want secrets. She did not want anyone to feel left out or to feel like that was okay. She wanted forgiveness from her two friends for whatever it was that she had done to make them no longer want to talk to her. “No, no, you misunderstand.” Gia mumbled though hiccups, sobs, and fresh tears. “I do not wish for anyone to share their secrets with me if they are not comfortable.” Gia tried to explain, her words slurring as she struggled to maintain her second language.

“I only wanted to ask for forgiveness for whatever I may have done unintentionally to my friends that has caused this… this…” What word did she want to use? She couldn’t think of any, so instead she just went for being more direct. “Peizhi, I am sorry. I miss you every day and I want to be your friend again.” She pleaded to the small Chinese girl before turning to her best friend and roommate. “I am sorry if I have ever made you doubt me or made you think that I cannot support you because I can and I do.”

6 Gia Definitely Miscommunication... 308 Gia 0 5

Wu Peizhi

December 07, 2016 9:59 PM

Tempted to evacuation. by Wu Peizhi

She shouldn’t have come.

Wu knew it immediately the moment she arrived in the MARS room and saw what awaited her. She hadn’t even wanted to go to meet up with Gia, too scared and hurt to really want to go back, but Laila would be there, and Laila seemed to think it would be a positive experience (Wu assumed, as the Crotalus would not have intentionally drawn her into something that would affect her negatively), so she went. For whatever reason, she hadn’t expected Jax to be there too. Or Sammy, really. Wu sort of thought it would be an almost one-on-one thing, with Laila invited as a mediator. Not that it would be an argument in the slightest, but Wu did not know a more accurate word. Someone to go between, as a comfort to both her and Gia.

But that could not happen with Jax here. Jax, the silent but strong one, the one who had initially offered Peizhi the most peace within the group. His demeanor reminded her so strongly of her favorite brother Bohai, the only person she had ever formed a meaningful connection with prior to coming to Sonora. But Wu’s wounds were still fresh, the memory of a lesson last term where she had tried to talk to him still ever present in her mind. She had been building, had done the best she could to reach out, and though she’d been vague, she had tried. What she received back from Jax had been snappish, spitting her words back at her in anger, words she had chosen so carefully that still weren’t good enough. She understood he was protective of his sister--another trait that reminded her of her beloved Bohai--and that Wu had hurt her, but the Teppenpaw was a very fragile girl. She had labored over how to say what she was saying, and it had taken her that long to even work up the nerve to speak to him at all. She thought he would be the most understanding, the most like her, but she was wrong. So very, very wrong.

The fourth year wanted nothing more than to leave, but she looked nervously at Laila and found herself falling in line beside her. Laila had been so good to her. She was patient and kind, present without being overbearing, quietly offering her friendship without forcing obligation upon her. So she took a deep breath and tried to listen to Gia. The metaphor of this Peter Pan person was completely lost on her, evidently both a Muggle and an American thing, so she only managed to find the song distracting.

She found the urge to withdraw into herself as Gia called them family, her strength utilized to suppress a shiver. Family was not gained like this, Wu did not think, and even if it was, her experience with family was not exactly something to be envied or recreated. Family was often the people who used and manipulated you but blood required you keep allowing. Sometimes there was love and kindness, but it was not required. Family was obligation.

And then Gia was crying. Peizhi drew back physically, surprised and confused and just generally not good enough in dealings with other people to know what to do. Gia spoke of her apparent but unknown failings, and then Laila responded, trying, it seemed, to calm the situation. But Gia was not calmed, her sobs renewed. She addressed Wu directly, and again she could not help but jar backwards a little, looking nervously toward Laila, looking pointedly from Jax, as Gia then addressed Sammy.

From what she could gather, there must have been something going on in the group since she had withdrawn. That was probably her fault, the absence she left, though she could hardly imagine it being too terribly big a void, acting as some kind of destabilizing event. “Um,” Wu began hesitantly, careful to find the right words in a language she increasingly disliked. “Well, my, uh, distance? was nothing to do with you.” She paused. “It was me. And… personal things. My family. My father-” the fourth year caught herself. She hated to speak ill or openly disagree with her father, and it was bad enough she had done it to Professor Skies previously. She had to bite her tongue. “I was trying to do better what he wants,” she said with little explanation. “I know I made mistakes. I am…. I am trying to do better now, but I need to go slowly.” Wu was in no way close to tears, but a desperation was evident in her voice. “Please understand. I do not mean to hurt or say that you hurt me. You did not. It is… it is all me here. I must go slowly.”

12 Wu Peizhi Tempted to evacuation. 316 Wu Peizhi 0 5

Sammy Meeks

December 07, 2016 10:01 PM

How are y'all rhyming like that? by Sammy Meeks

Sammy took a deep breath. “My turn, then, I guess,” she stated as soon as Wu was done. The other girls had all spoken, taken turns through varying degrees of upsetness to attempt to express themselves. In a bizarre twist of events, Sammy was the last one to speak, except for Jax, of course, but that was neither bizarre nor a twist. Nor necessary, she thought. Why was he here? Why was she here?

The questions had been ringing through her mind this whole time, although truthfully she probably knew the answers. Answer, singular, really. They were here because Gia. She was upset, wanted to talk. Sammy hadn’t exactly understood this was going to be a group production, although she imagined she would have made herself come even if she had realized Jax would be here. (And really, she probably should have. A sensitive Gia would always want her big brother.)

But she didn’t want to be. God, how she didn’t want to be. Sammy didn’t want to be around Jax, the ache still fresh. She couldn’t stop herself from looking him over, wondering where Joella’s hands had been, if his mouth stuck primarily to hers or if he explored her jawline, if they laughed about Sammy and how stupid she was in hushed voices between giggled kisses. Obviously the last part was, she hoped, just her insecurities flaring and running away with her imagination, a vivid image she didn’t want to see constantly searing itself into her mind.

“Honestly,” she said, looking directly to Gia, speaking to Gia, doing her best to pretend it was only Gia because that was the only way she would find any strength at all. “I’m not super sure what you’re talking about, but I’m really sorry that you’re upset and hurting. You know I am too. This year has been garbage. Like, flaming dumpster level garbage. But I-” Sammy couldn’t keep the gaze, glancing around at the other girls. At Jax. She forced herself back. “I wish you’d have come to me individually if you wanted to talk about stuff.”

Sammy didn’t like to talk about her feelings. She’d told Gia she liked Joella because she was in a panic. She’d told Laila because she felt like she’d explode if she didn’t. There was no issue of comfort with the nature of the feelings, ie her sexuality, but the fact that she, Sammy Meeks, had feelings was not acceptable. And when her hurt as of late was kinda Jax’s fault but not something she could tell him (because it was only his fault by accident, and she didn’t want him to feel bad when she already had that market covered), that was extra hard to talk about, especially with him here.

“I’m not trying to leave you out of stuff. I’m not mad at you. I don’t think you’re a bad friend. Nobody’s ever been as nice to me as you, like, ever.” The memories were still fresh, the exclusion of girls because she was too boyish, the exclusion of boys because gross, a girl. She’d never really had a friend at all before Sonora, before Gia. “All I’ve been trying to do is…. I don’t know. Protect. You, and myself. I don’t want you to feel bad because I feel bad. But now I feel bad that you feel bad because I feel bad, and everything is worse. So I’m sorry.

“And it’s not the same,” Sammy went on, “but kinda like Wu said, I need time. I have to hurt whatever way I have to do it, and then eventually it’ll pass.” At least, she hoped. Even now, she couldn’t shake off the need to reassure Gia, even when the situation was hers, the initial, basic hurt hers. She had her heart broken and was still trying to soothe her friend. “I’m doing what I can. Honest. Am I making any sense here?” She knew she had a weird way of talking, even in times of trouble, and especially since Gia was upset, her English might not have been exactly up to par with Sammy’s colloquialism.

12 Sammy Meeks How are y'all rhyming like that? 310 Sammy Meeks 0 5

Gia (and some Jax)

December 08, 2016 6:48 PM

I need to get out of here, Stat. by Gia (and some Jax)

Gia’s blue eyes fell on Peizhi who began speaking rather hesitantly and quietly from beside Laila. Gia was honestly surprised that the younger girl had come along since it had been so long since Gia and she had had a conversation. Even though her brother had tried to tell her tirelessly that it was not her fault that Peizhi had suddenly stopped talking to them, Gia still couldn’t stop feeling guilty for it. Even now, with Peizhi telling her that it was because of her family, Gia still didn’t really believe her.

She was still talking to Laila and she had become friends with her roommate (or more close with her roommate as Gia wasn’t sure if they were friends before). How much more slowly did she need to go? And what did that even mean? That she needed more time? They hadn’t spoken in a year and a half, that wasn’t enough time? But she didn’t need to go slowly with Laila or Abby? That response and everything that Gia knew of since Peizhi stopped talking to them, Gia took to mean that it wasn’t additional time that she needed, it was that Gia and her brother and Sammy weren’t the ones that she wanted as friends. Peizhi hadn’t even reacted to the fact that Gia said she missed having her in her life. Did that mean nothing to her? Did Peizhi just not care to have them as her friends?

Gia really didn’t know what any of it meant. Were they still going to spend their school year not talking to each other? She didn’t get much of a chance to respond though because Sammy was talking and her words sent a flare of anger through her. She wished she had come to her to talk? Where the hell did she get off? Gia had tried to talk to her for the last two months since the incident had happened. And Sammy responded with fine or to not worry. It was because of Sammy’s lack of response that Gia had felt like a failure as a friend. It was because of Sammy’s lack of response that Gia felt compelled to bring everyone together and get them to be friends again because living their lives separate like this, not talking to one another, Gia couldn’t live like that anymore. She wanted her friends back.

“I tried.” Gia said, her tears drying as she looked at Sammy. Her eyes had the same intensity that her brother’s held in a way that was very unlike Gia. “I tried to talk to you for the last couple of months. I tried. You are the one who refused to talk to me!” Gia knew that her friend was dealing with a heartbreak, but she was not the only one who was dealing with things. She was not the only one who was hurting. Maybe she could just brush off Gia and act like it didn’t matter, but that was not who Gia was. She needed her friends. “I have never asked for anyone to protect me. The only thing I have asked is for us to be friends and for you to trust me. You cannot go around pretending to be okay when we both know that you are not. I cannot go around pretending to be okay anymore.” She stated to Sammy. “If you don’t want to talk about it, fine. But stop lying to me about it. Stop pretending with me. I know you, at least give me enough credit for that.” She had not intended to get angry, but all of her friends seemed to just brush off her concerns and it only made her feel small and her fears unimportant.

“Peizhi.” She said, turning to the other girl. “I have no idea what you are asking of me. Do you not want to be our friend? Is it because of how Jax has reacted?”

“Gia.” Jax’s deep voice cut in suddenly, he was staring hard at his sister and had a warning tone in his voice. She ignored him.

“Jax becomes angry when he is hurt by someone. He does not mean it and he cares about you very much.”

“Gia!” He said again, only this time he sounded exasperated with his sister. “I don’t know what all of this is and I… really don’t want to, if I’m honest.” He added. If they needed him for whatever reason, Jax figured the girls would come directly to him. Whatever this was, was their issue. “What happened between Wu and I was a year and a half ago. It’s not relevant anymore. She is free to decide if she’s ready to be friends again or not.” Jax stood up. “I have homework to do, so I’ll talk to you all later.” He didn’t wait for a response but just quickly left the room.

Gia looked at her three ‘friends’ that remained. “I’m sorry if this made you all uncomfortable, but I have been holding everything in for too long. I needed you all to hear me because I do not want to lose any of you.”

6 Gia (and some Jax) I need to get out of here, Stat. 308 Gia (and some Jax) 0 5