Unexpected Meeting [Mew, Closed]

[Micah Matthews]

Sunset had fallen upon the campus of his new high school. As fellow juniors were returning from their day of summer school or hanging out in town, Micah headed the opposite direction, out. Dressing comfortably, Micah wore a white round neck t-shirt which looked at one time it had a design of possibly a dragon, but was washed too many times to tell for certain. One of his hands rested comfortably in his jeans, also faded slightly from use, while the right hand held the strap of his backpack that was slung over his shoulder. His headphones were over his ears, the backing extended like white horns out of his head and his purple eyes focused ahead with a serious expression. Despite the odd glances from passing students concerning his headphones, Micah seemed oblivious to them. They didn’t matter as long as they kept their distance. He had more important matters bothering him than odd looks from strangers.

Hunger was foremost on his mind. Micah hadn’t eaten since he arrived, due primarily to getting his room in order. Not that he typically ate much to begin with, but Micah did tend to eat something daily. That was a day and a half ago, but food seemed insignificant in the slight chance someone else was to share a room with him. Who would want to come into a room with boxes and unorganized chaos? First impressions were lasting ones and Micah didn’t want to get on bad terms with a dorm mate. A year of mutual agreement was better than a year of hell from someone. Micah already had violent tendencies that he was trying to quell so taking every precaution necessary seemed vital in his mind.

Still, what seemed more important than his growling stomach and the roommate issue was not meeting his step-sister. It seemed easier not to complicate the situation by letting his presence be known to her. Let her live out her high school years in perfect bliss and happiness, blossoming into an independent young woman, not knowing that her older step-brother so close to her. Let nature take its course, so to speak. Of course, Micah had counted on the campus being bigger than it actually was for his original plan to work. Thus he decided to make an avoidance plan, just so everything could continue to run smoothly. The junior had rationalized that Melissa would probably head to her dorm room at this time, like so many other students. At least, he hoped. Micah never really cared about Melissa’s schedule until now and he realized that he really didn’t recall when she normally went to bed. The little things he overlooked seemed not so insignificant now.

Micah stopped short the doors of the school’s cafeteria and looked up at the building. At least, she wouldn’t come here to eat. Surely she would pick the brightly colored café on the other side of the campus, right? Either that or she already ate something and didn’t need to be here this late. His pause was short lived, as Micah pushed open one of the double doors and waltzed inside, any fear of her potentially being in the general area fading. It was still open for a little over an hour, which was plenty time to order something. Several other students had thought the same, being scattered amongst the round tables and a few in the serving line. His stomach began to take priority over his surroundings; Micah started for the serving line, hesitating in his steps right before he entered. Both hands went up to his ears and pulled the headphones down to around his neck, the back piece retracting down as he did. Now, he was ready to enjoy his dinner, taking his place behind the last person in line.

---

[Melissa Matthews °]

Brother, my Brother
Tell me what we are fighting for
We got to end this war...

The sunset was just perfect. Not that it mattered to the young blonde girl outside Pallet High School’s cafeteria - there were bubbles to be had! Melissa Matthews, better known as Mew, was sitting on a hill outside the cafeteria blowing bubbles. Sometimes she would watch them float away, and sometimes - such as now - she would start chasing after them, popping some, letting others get out of her reach, and trying to catch still others with her small bubble wand. She had a full container of Mr. Bubbles Bubbling Solution at her feet, and dipped in the long, pink wand to create another coat of permeable bubble maker. When all of the bubbles had popped (of their own accord or otherwise), she blew gently through the wand, causing more bubbles to appear. Giggling, she bounced after them down the hill, not really thinking where she was going.

“I’m gonna get ya!” She laughed as she talked to the bubbles. “Your detergent surrounding your oxygen and nitrogen gases will not protect you for long!” It might have only been by this statement that Melissa might have looked smarter than she appeared to be. She was extremaly intelligent, but she also liked to have fun, and she took pleasure in very simple things, and that wasn’t mentioning her ADHD. Thus, a somewhat contradicting picture was often painted of Mew.

Laughing, Melissa lunged toward the last big bubble and popped it with her right index finger. She looked back up toward the hill for a moment, thinking she would have to go back up the hill when she saw movement in her perepheral vision. She glanced over just in time to see the cafeteria door close, but she saw a glimpse of a person who looked vaguely familiar.

“Mew?” She questioned quietly under her breath. Was that Micah? No. Micah was back in New York, going to a different school. Micah wasn’t here. Her step mother and her father had decided it would be better to separate them. She must have seen incorrectly. But it had looked like him...

She had to find out who the mystery person was now.

Abandoning her games and her bubbles, Mew strode purposefully toward the cafeteria and opened the door. She gazed around the wide space - it wasn’t too crowded, as it was later in the evening, and the Route One Cafe seemed to be a more popular stop, but there was still a fair amount of people inside. Nevertheless, it didn’t take long for her to see the back of the mystery person. She walked toward them hesitantly at first, and then recognition struck her. Her face burst into a wide grin as her feet took flight.

“Micah!”

Mew tackled her step-brother in a tight hug as she cried out joyfully. She laughed. He was here! Why was he here? It was exciting that he was here, but why? She proceeded to ask him.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were staying home with your mom and my dad! Oh boy, when did you get here? I haven’t seen you! This is so exciting! Do you like it here? I like it here, it’s such a pretty school and the classes are great and I’m learning a lot and I can’t wait for school to start and there are nice people and it’ll be great! YAY!” She said all of this very fast, rocking Micah in her embrace slightly. When she finally stopped to take a breath, she looked up at him happily. Would he be happy to see her too?

Or was he still angry with her?

Oh
Can't we just pretend
that this war never began...?

Summary:

[/i] Mew is playing with her bubbles outside the cafeteria when she notices a strangely familiar figure entering the building. Unsure if it is her step-brother, she follows him inside. She spots him and recognizes him almost immediately. She runs up to him, tackles him in a hug, and begins questioning him. She does stop to breathe when a scary thought strikes her: what if he still hates her and is angry with her?
Comments:[/i] Sorry this took forever, but I love how it turned out! I hope you feel similarly. :]
Song:[/i] Brother my Brother by Blessed Union of Souls, from Pokemon: The First Movie
[/blockquote]

[Micah Matthews]

Completely oblivious to what was going on behind him; Micah had almost reached the point where he could get service, just two more people in his way. His stomach whined loudly and he frowned at himself. Never again will he wait this long to get food, even if it were something small like a candy bar. And that’s when he heard it. The voice, his name, footsteps…

Oomph! The smaller person collided with his back and her arms squeezed his to his sides. Immediately, Micah tensed at her touch and laughter, only folding slightly forward due to the impact. His eyes were wide, surprised but also in shock and fear. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this! She was going to live out her life, growing up without the fear of her step-brother lurking behind every corner to push her away. What was he supposed to do? Did he just pick up where he left off with their current relationship? Ignoring her and pushing her roughly away? But he was attempting to calm himself, that would be a step back, wouldn’t it? Plus, doing something like that here in public… His purple eyes shifted to see how much attention this was gathering; a couple people were glancing curiously in their direction, but it wasn’t as drastic as he visualized it in his head.

Then she spilled over into questions before he could really cope with the situation. As her mouth ran onward, his mind raced. Micah couldn’t tell her the truth of his transfer. No, Melissa didn’t need to know the details of why he really was here. That was his personal battle. However, that left no explanation as to his being in Colorado attending the same school as she. Then again, why did she need to know? Maybe if he just answered her other questions about school it would satisfy her?

When he was finally released, Micah turned to face her with a frown on his face. The happiness on the shorter girl’s face just caused him to sigh and shake his head. How is this possible? Really, if someone had physically hurt another, wouldn’t fear be the more appropriate response? Micah never understood Melissa when it came to that, unless she was as stubborn as he. More importantly, where to begin? For some odd reason, he didn’t feel as angry as usual. It was most likely due to the fact he was starving.

”I arrived a couple days ago, so my opinion is neutral of this place” Micah finally said, passing off his tone as a bit cold and his arms now crossing one over the other. His eyes narrowed slightly, appearing slightly annoyed with her presence if anything else. ”Of course you would like it here; happiness to you is--” Micah was promptly interrupted by the loud cry of his stomach. His arms dropped slightly as if to quiet the roar, squeezing his stomach tightly; he couldn’t pretend to be angry or anything when he was this hungry. So the teen sighed and his demeanor melted into a frown. ” I haven’t ate since I arrived.” The harshness was gone from his words and his voice was now quiet. ”We can continue this conversation after I consume something, unless you’ve missed tasting the floor.”

It was a hollow threat; no way would Micah do such a thing in a public place, but he was willing to take a chance that she might believe him. He took a quick glance over his shoulder; he was next to be served and the lady behind the counter stared at the two questionably. So close to being fed... Micah gave a quick glare at his step-sister, hoping it would prove any validity to his words then abruptly turned to enter the line.

---

OOC Note: I loved it! Really, I don’t mind waiting especially when I receive a post like this :D And the song from the movie was a nice touch~ Kudos to you! Hopefully my return post is acceptable.

[Melissa Matthews °]

Brother, my Brother
Tell me what we are fighting for
We got to end this war...

Melissa was starting to feel nervous as her step-brother remained mute against her rapid-fire questioning. She had fully remembered now how much he didn’t like her, but she wanted it not to matter anymore. She wanted a brother, one she could love fully, without restraint. She wondered if Micah felt similarly, or if he still hated her for being nearly as intelligent as him. She had released him from her embrace and he faced her with a dark frown on his face, a look she was familiar with, but she took heart in that it was not a face of rage, a look she was even more familiar with from their days at home together.

Finally he spoke. Relief flooded her so much that she nearly missed his words, but she made sure she was paying attention - she didn’t want to miss a thing. So he was neutral, then? That would make sense, since Melissa never really knew Micah to have deeper emotions right away. She smiled at him, trying to hide her slight case of nerves. He started to snap at her about how it was clear she would like the place, but he clapped a hand to his stomach before he could finish the thought - Mew thought she could hear it grumbling from here. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter, and she felt reassured - no doubt he would feel better when he had eaten. She didn’t comment on his threat - she didn’t think he would act upon it here, or at least she fervently hoped not. She had thought they could get past violence now.

She nodded. “No worries, Micah - I’ll get us a table! I already ate, and I have a snack, too, so we can eat together!” She pulled out a strawberry-filled nutrition bar from her pocket and giggled quietly. She turned away and started walking. Her eyes roved the hall and found a small table at the window, away from other people. It wasn’t her first choice in tables, but if she remembered Micah at all, he wouldn't want to be near others. He wouldn't want to be near me either... Mew pushed the thought away as it entered her mind. She took a seat at the circular table, sitting on one of the blue plastic seats comfortably and opening up her nutrition bar. She watched her step-brother uncertainly. She wanted to get along with him now, but could they move past their less-than-pleasant history? She was excited that he was here - she had even missed him a little. Granted, it had been easier not having to worry about competing with her step-brother, but she had still missed having a brother, especially since he had wished her well when she left - something had to be different now, didn't it?

This wasn’t home - she could certainly try. Now what was she going to say to him?

Oh
Can't we just pretend
that this war never began...?

Summary:

[/i] Melissa starts to become nervous that Micah will revert to his old ways around her, but she wants to be like a brother-sister, not a competition with them. She relaxes a little when he says that he's hungry (she thinks he'll feel better with food), and so goes off to find them a table. She starts trying to think of things to say, and worries a little about where their relationship will go from here.
Comments:[/i] I love the [barely] hidden tension here~! :D
Song:[/i] Brother my Brother by Blessed Union of Souls, from Pokemon: The First Movie
[/blockquote]

[Micah Matthews]

Micah ultimately ignored the shorter girl’s words, just as his glare met her back and was ignored by her. A sigh was emitted from him. Why now? He was completely unprepared for such an encounter. On one hand, Micah was slightly grateful his paranoia could be sated now that he was discovered. However, meeting this soon and abrupt was unnerving. A frown was fixated on his lips as he continued toward the counter and met eyes with the cafeteria lady.

The lady behind the counter still stared at him, but more of a curious look in her brown eyes. Her curls were hidden under a white mesh hairnet so it was impossible to distinguish what color it was. From the wrinkles, it was easy to determine she was slightly older. Though she seemed to want an explanation, Micah didn’t deem her worthy of one. He greeted her with a slight nod of the head and she shrugged her shoulders slightly as if giving up on expecting anything from the teen. Suited him fine; he didn’t know her and she didn’t need to know his business.

His purple eyes looked over the slim selection, wondering what exactly he really wanted to eat. Though food became his number one priority, his head wasn’t exactly clear. Melissa’s interruption to what was a peaceful outing had turned everything upside down. His desire to eat was shadowed by what he was to do after he left the line. She had offered to eat with him. Should he even talk to her? Maybe he would sit elsewhere.

Finally, Micah lifted his hand and pointed to a slice of cheese pizza, which was slightly browned in parts and a darkened crust, then finally a salad with wilted lettuce. At least the cucumbers and tomatoes looked satisfactory enough. Micah made a mental note to use either a vending machine or the café next time he felt hungry.

The teen finally left the empty line several dollars short and holding a plate and salad in each hand, gazing around the cafeteria, hoping that Melissa didn’t wait for him. A frown crossed his face when he finally found her. However, he was surprised to find her by herself. Once again, his problem was before him. Micah could ignore her completely and sit elsewhere or just leave the cafeteria entirely. Or sit with her and make an already awkward situation worse. Quietly, he contemplated his options, weighing each one out with the possible outcome. The simulation lasted a couple minutes in his head before making his decision.

Plate and salad were placed upon the table beside Melissa and he pulled out his chair and sat beside her. Sure, he hated his decision, but it was better than the alternative. Whenever Micah tried his best to push her away and make her fear him, it failed. She would attach herself harder or try another tactic, so why not give the element of surprise? However, he said nothing to her and picked up the slice of pizza and bit into it. His back was erect, not touching the back of the seat and he focused on his food, not really acknowledging her presence or looking in her direction. Let her start conversation if she was so inclined to get friendly with him. It was her decision not his.

---

[Melissa Matthews °]

Brother, my Brother
Tell me what we are fighting for
We got to end this war...

Melissa waited anxiously for a few moments, fiddling with the wrapper of her nutrition bar. It was unlikely Micah would want to sit with her, but he might still do it for different reasons. If only she could figure him out. If there was anything Mew didn’t like, it was not having a basic understanding of something, if not a complete thought process about the whole thing with no missing gaps. Micah was a mystery, and she had yet to solve him. He was like a Rubik’s cube that had been tampered with to the point that it was nigh impossible to solve, and yet there was still a combination that would complete the cube. She hoped that she could ‘solve’ him at some point. She wanted to know him, to understand him better.

Then again, he probably didn’t understand her, either.

She looked up in surprise as Micah came and sat silently next to her. Her heart leapt. He had willingly made the choice to come and sit with her - that had to be something good! But now that he was here, they weren’t talking. She took another bite of her strawberry-filled bar as he began eating his food stoically. He did a lot of things stoically. How (or maybe the better question was why) did he do so many things stoically all the time?

He wasn’t looking at her. She wanted to say something, but now what could she say?

She started with the obvious. “So, uh... Why are you here? I thought you were going to that other school, in New York...” She couldn’t remember the name, but it had been some fancy, prestigious school that had seemed right up Micah’s alley. Pallet High was a good school, known mostly for its academics (and less than stellar sports teams) and the variety of options. But it had seemed to have a more friendly atmosphere, whereas the school Micah had been looking at was more for students who were very serious about their studies. It was a school for students who would later get into Harvard, Yale, and others without debate. It had seemed perfect for Micah.

So why change? Certainly not because she was here... Right?

Oh
Can't we just pretend
that this war never began...?

Summary:

[/i] Mew ponders Micah and how she can't really figure him out. She's surprised he sits with her, but intitally says nothing. She wonders why he's so serious, and then feels that they ought to talk. She asks him why he came to Pallet.
Comments:[/i] Late. This oughta be awkward.
Song:[/i] Brother my Brother by Blessed Union of Souls, from Pokemon: The First Movie
[/blockquote]

[Micah Matthews]

The pizza tasted initially like burnt rubber. However, to the starving student, it was tolerable for the several bites then deemed too nasty to continue. The half eaten pizza was placed back upon the plate it came from and now Micah began to open the salad. He hadn’t noticed the tension in the silence that was between him and his step-sister, almost to the point of forgetting her existence right beside him. Hunger was his first priority from the beginning and had taken full authority of his concentration. Of course, not being one for much conversation also helped.

As he finally pried the lid off of the salad container, a question finally came from her lips, breaking the silence but bringing the situation back to his full attention. His face remained unchanged by her words and his purple eyes remained on his salad. Micah was at a loss. Melissa had caught him in a moment of physical weakness. He could blame himself, but that was utterly meaningless. It wouldn’t change the facts. Nor did Micah want her to know all the facts. He was oblivious as to what she actually knew of his life before her father met his mother. It made him feel uncertain how to continue.

“Something came up that made it impossible to attend a school in the state of New York” Micah said, his tone calm and quiet. He shifted slightly before his eyes glanced around his tray. A sigh escaped him; he had forgotten a fork in all the confusion of the moment. Shaking his head, Micah continued with his usual neutral expression. ”As to why, I believe it’s not in your best interest to know. Just know I am here and won’t be returning home, even after I graduate.” Hopefully that was enough to appease her. If not, Micah guessed he would need an excuse though he wasn’t one for bending the truth. Dodging questions were much easier.

Micah put the lid back on the untouched salad. He would eat it later. Right now, humoring Melissa seemed more important than his stomach. The hunger that had gnawed at him was quelled enough for it to take second place, which was good enough at the moment. Finally his eyes shifted to her face, dropping only momentarily to her nutrition bar. “Have you had any trouble since you arrived?” It was the first thing that Micah decided seemed good enough to deviate from the subject at hand. She didn’t need to worry about his problems, especially since it had nothing to do with her. ”I know you are ecstatic to spread your preverbal wings.”

---

[Melissa Matthews °]

Brother, my Brother
Tell me what we are fighting for
We got to end this war...

Watching the lid come off of his salad container, Melissa leaned forward slightly as she took another bite of her bar. She was nervous, somewhat. But she wasn’t afraid of him hurting her - she could run away, if she needed to, and she didn’t think he would try to hurt her here, in a public place. That wasn’t his style. What she was worried about, however, was if he would actually make conversation with her. She wanted to make a good connection with her step-brother again. They had been so close back in New York, and now, away from home, it seemed like it would be easy to reform a cordial, if not friendly, relationship.

When he spoke, it was quiet. Micah was always quiet, whereas Melissa was usually loud. She was still trying to fix that, but that was just her natural volume, and so it was somewhat difficult. Nevertheless, she heard his words: he had to leave, and that he couldn’t go home, even after he graduated. She opened her mouth to ask him why he couldn’t go back, but then remembered that he had indirectly told her not to ask why. She closed her mouth again, mulling over the information.

He changed the subject quickly, asking if she had run into any trouble while she had been here.

“Oh... I like it here. It’s beautiful with the mountains and all, and there are lots of smart people and lots of things to learn. It’s really interesting, and I like all of my classes and my teachers. The people here seem to be nice too, for the most part.” Melissa was about to take a bite of her nutrition bar when she saw Micah looking at it. “Do you want some?” She offered. Just like home - she had always tried to share, but he hadn’t always accepted it. Or when he had, it had been with a snappy retort about her being soft and stupid.

There was a pause where Melissa swallowed. “But, Micah... What about home? Where will you go?” She asked, her voice unusually soft.

Oh
Can't we just pretend
that this war never began...?

Summary:

[/i] Melissa has some more nervous moments, waiting for his reply. She doesn't ask him about what happened, and talks about Pallet and how she likes it here. She offers him the last of her nutrition bar. Then, she asks him what he'll do after he graduates - if he couldn't go home, where would he go?
Comments:[/i] n/a
Song:[/i] Brother my Brother by Blessed Union of Souls, from Pokemon: The First Movie
[/blockquote]

[Micah Matthews]

He listened to the response to his futile attempt to change the subject. For the moment, it seemed to work and Micah was actually slightly pleased with the results, though his face didn’t show a single sign of it. His fingers crept over to the remainder of the pizza, picking it up and biting into it, the taste of rubber filling his mouth again. It was disgusting, that he could admit. Why would anyone knowingly choose this place was beyond him.

However, the gaze toward her food was noticed and his eyes widened. It was just something harmless that he did when she rustled the wrapper. Micah opened his mouth then shut it, reconsidering how to go about this. He was trying not to be hostile, for the promise he made if nothing else, and what he was about to say could be interpreted as such. ”I’m fine” he murmured, biting into the pizza again. His purple eyes tore away from the bar, making a mental note not to look at it again. It was typical Melissa; wanting to share something she had already half devoured. Maybe she should have thought about that before offering.

Any pride he had to change the subject was diminished as it came back up in the form of where he was going to go. For once, Micah hadn’t thought that far ahead, but he had some ideas. Nonchalantly, the boy shrugged his shoulders, forcing himself to take another bite and swallowing it. He seemingly showed little concern over the matter, nor picking up Melissa’s change in tone as anything profound. ”I have ideas, but nothing concrete. My original thought was going to college in Seattle or Vancouver. Then again, maybe I’ll take a brief hiatus from schooling and travel the country or perhaps the world. I’m not sure. ”

He visibly frowned at himself. It wasn’t often that Micah didn’t have a plan set in stone, nor speak of his indecisiveness to anyone. To him, it showed weakness, which he didn’t want anyone to see. ”Depends what occurs in two years.” It was uncharacteristically full of emotion, worry and sadness, though it was still in his quiet tone. Micah shook his head, suddenly conscious of what he did. How silly, showing such weakness… ”Doesn’t matter; it’s not like you have your future magically laid out.” His tone changed drastically, to the usual quiet, icy tone that he had used many times with her.

---

[Melissa Matthews °]

Brother, my Brother
Tell me what we are fighting for
We got to end this war...

Melissa saw her brother’s eyes widen at her offer of food. Thinking that he was offended by her offering, she pulled it back into her body as he murmured that he was fine, and bit into his pizza again as if just to prove the point. She sighed quietly as she took another bite of the bar. Maybe he just didn’t like these kind of nutrition bars. They weren’t her favorite either, but they tasted pretty good, in her opinion. There was nothing wrong with offering, was there?

She pushed this thought aside as he talked about what he might do. Seattle or Vancouver, maybe travelling the world. All of these were his options, but he had no plans. That was interesting. Normally he made sure everything was in place for every detail. She saw him frown; he must be irritated with the fact that he had no solid plans either.

"I see." A slight pause, a deep breath. “Well, if you ever need a place to stay... You could stay with me. I’d help you. Somehow.” She spoke quietly. She was ready for that idea to be rejected, for her to be rejected again. Her eyes grew damp as she thought of her brother just turning away from her again. She wanted a brother. Was that really so much to ask?

She blinked a few times to send the wetness of forthcoming tears away. “So, uh, where are you staying? The junior dorms? Do you have a roommate?” She changed the subject quickly, her mind and voice warming to the topic as she spoke. “Are they nice? Is your room nice? Mine’s pretty nice, but I don’t have a roommate yet.”

Just keep the conversation simple, and it would all work out, right? She could keep telling herself that.

Oh
Can't we just pretend
that this war never began...?

Summary:

[/i] Melissa pulls back her food nervously, thinking that he's going to reject the food because it was hers, not because she had already bitten off of it. Listens to his plans and offers that he can stay with her and/or turn to her if he ever needs help. Changes the subject to his roommate and dorm situation.
Comments:[/i] late. Now Mew's making the subject change, whoo~ What do you want to do with this thread? We can keep going, make a new one, etc... I'll get that karaoke thread up today, since I have free time.
Song:[/i] Brother my Brother by Blessed Union of Souls, from Pokemon: The First Movie
[/blockquote]