Braindead

[»Míríel«]

Miriel's usually graceful and smooth movements were shortened to a walk to frustration. "Math, always math. Why do we even need math?" It was late in the day and she had just finished her second to last class, Calculus. Every time that word was mentioned it made her shudder. "Math" She vented as her slender fingers fiddled with the black and silver lock. "zero, zero, zero....ok 16...31..." She stopped as she stared at the lock, "Or was it 13.... blast it." Shifting the heavy calculus book from one hand to the other she stuck the yellow pencil in her mouth and stared deeply at the lock. "Stupid numbers..." The words were barely audible around the pencil clenched in her teeth. With an angry flick of her fingers she cleared the lock again, "zero..zero..zero.. 16, 13.." Another pause filled the air as another blank look filled her face. "Why can't this combination stick in my mind?" A thud sounded as her head met the locker door. "Just calm down...breath..." Already her whole body was tense with anxiety and frustration. A minute had already passed and the thought of the next class time soon approaching didn't help her mind focus.
Unconsciously her free hand left the metal lock and rested on the back of her head. With one smooth motion her hair was released from the bond of a hair tie. Hair like black waters tumbled down her back as a single sigh passed her lips. "Much better" Straightening up her green eyes focused on the lock. After another moment passed her eyes sparked to life. Determination filled her every movement this time as she grasped the lock. "zero zero zero... 16"

[saerwen]

Walking towards her locker, Jaedon started to think about what she had learned, and what she was going to be learning next. She always tried to think about these things so as to glean the most from her studies. She had always found that her difficulties in certain subjects was because of lacking interest, so she tried to think on these things to ensure her own grades and happiness.
As she rounded the corner that led to her locker, she saw one of the funniest sights that had graced her eyes in a for some time. Her long time friend Miriel Trail was standing with her head against her locker, fiddling with the clip that was holding her long ebony locks away from her face. Jaedon stood there for a moment and watched with a smile on her face. The clip gave way, and after a deep sigh of relief, Miriel tried to remember the correct combination to her locker. Jaedon walked up to her friend.
"Just got out of Calculus didn't you?"
Miriel turned to look at her and gave a slight nod then focused her attention on the lock.
Jaedon decided to help her friend, " I think yours was 0,0,0, 16, 21. I only remember it because mine is 0,0,0, 17, 21." Jaedon smiled as she thought quietly to herself, turning her attention to her own locker.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel nearly jumped out of her skin as a familiar voice filled the air. Turning her dark gaze to her friends green one she removed the pencil in order to bite her lower lip in exasperation. "Is it that obvious?" She sighed again before staring at the lock again. "Stupid math..." she muttered again. Suddenly her eyes sparked to life "Yes, 16, 21, 36!" Miriel's face immediately brightened like the sun. Then as soon as it brightened her face sobered as she glanced nervously side to side. "I mean..." Her voice lowered as she began chiding herself about speaking her code out loud. Nimbly her slender fingers flicked the lock around through the series of numbers once more.
Holding her breath Miriel's eyes closed tightly as she yanked on the lock. This time a satisfying click rang out. One eye opened, then the other as a sigh of relief passed her lips. "Jaedon..." Her eyes shifted to her friend. "What would I do without you? Many had thought the two sisters, the way they got along, the black hair, and green eyes. But they only thought that for a bit, for soon after you saw a huge difference, Miriel was more friendly and talkative, Jaedon more calm and reserved.
Turning her attention back to her locker she yanked it open to reveal the contents inside. Though the space was small, there seemed to be an infinite amount of stuff within. In the far corner all of her books were stacked carefully in a neat and perfect order. On the rack above was some equipment not worth mentioning and other things you would find in lockers. Though, some things made it different than any other. As soon as you opened it red paper stood out among anything else, all the walls in the locker were covered in it. Obviously it was one of her favorite colors, for it reminded her of something that was most important to her, fire. On the far wall there was a painting of a bird with bright orange and red plumage against a blue background. Below it an uniquely shaped pendant in the corner resembled something like a feather twisted slightly around a blood red stone. Random bits of poetry or little designs further decorated the locker door and other walls.
Tossing her calculus book into the locker Miriel let out a sigh of relief. Another class of misery over with, she couldn't wait until she was finished with it. So far she barely understood anything, and what she did understand was never on the tests. Figures.
"I should get those numbers tattooed on my arm or something...I can't remember a blasted thing after that class."

[saerwen]

Jaedon smiled as her friend finally succeeded in opening her locker. It was obvious that they had both been having pretty bad days. They were both horrible at math, and after that certain subject their minds were as good as dead. Jaedon envied her friend slightly because her Calculus class was second to last, but Jaedon's Pre- Calculus class was right in the middle.
Jaedon reached into her locker to pull out the necessary articles for her next class. She placed the book that she was returning into it's specific place, and absent- mindedly reached her hand into the locker to grab the other book from it's specific place. She smiled as she thought about how strange it was that you can gather so much information about a person from their lockers. Her own was probably seen as dull by most, but to her, it was normal. There was nothing decorating the walls. The lockers only adornment were a few assorted pictures pasted to the back of the door. These pictures were the ones that held some feelings to Jaedon. The largest and most prominent one was a picture that Miriel had taken on a beach a year ago. The setting was perfect and the color contrast was exquisite. Jaedon looked at the picture, adoring the talent that went into its perfection, and admiring the amazing creativity of her friend. She looked over to Miriels locker.
"I wonder if I'll ever be able to understand how she can be so creative and colorful..." Jaedon thought to herself as she spoke to Miriel after hearing her mutter something about getting a tattoo to help her remember something of importance.
"You really aren't that hopeless. Just give it a few weeks and you'll remember it. Try using it more so that you get a little more practice." Jaedon closed her eyes and leaned against the locker so as to allow herself some rest. The lights over the lockers were so very bright, it gave Jaedon a headache... in fact, all of the lights in this place were like that, but that couldn't really be fixed. Jaedon hated bright lights.
Jaedon remained in her pose against the locker, long black curls falling around her face framing it perfectly. She let her perfect posture fall away as she slumped against her support and gave a deep sigh... "Using magic so often is really tiring. Even though I have great affinity for magic, I just don't use it enough to really become strong enough for it not to take so much out of me. I was a real knucklehead to make Necrology one of my first classes... By the time I get through the day I can hardly move..." Jaedon thought out loud, sharing her thoughts with her friend as she tried to regain her composure.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel had been staring at her calculus book while biting her lower lip. After a moment she straightened the book so that it was even with the rest. "Not that hopeless, are you kidding, I can barely remember where my locker is after that class, not to mention the combination... Whenever I get used to one lockers combination, I get a new one...."Sighing with relief that her locker was in order she turned to see her friend gazing at the picture of the beach. "You really should put up some more things in your locker... add some texture and color in it." A smile flitted on her lips, they had been over this before. Miriel tended to be on the creative colorful side, her friend, well wasn't.
Running her fingers through her hair Miriel guided her hair into the form of a messy ponytail. With the hair secured in a pony tail holder she sighed gently. Her green gaze moving to her friend's figure against the locker. She could tell even before Jaedon started talking that she was exhausted. Closing the door of her locker she adjusted her posture so that she was leaning on it with her back. Her bright face sobered as she looked at her friend. "You'll grow in strength.. I know it's hard especially with the mag-" She paused and smiled as a group of human students passed by them. When they had gone out of hearing distance she continued, "magic. Though are you sure you aren't working it to hard? You have seemed exhausted lately..." She ran a worried look over her friend before a smirk came to her lips. "Though..." She glanced at her friend as a spark of life filled her green eyes with a fire that flashed and burned with intensity, " You always have been a bit on the weaker side." The smirk that was on her face now broadened into a smile that had a message her friend would recognize, mischief.

[saerwen]

Jaedon watched as the humans passed by, noting how smoothly Miriel had stopped herself from talking about magic around them... Humans could be such a pain sometimes, and rather stupid too. They were usually far to easy to manipulate, giving Jaedon the upper hand, but also filling her with disgust at the same time.
"I am working as hard as I need to..." Jaedon paused to stop and think. She was debating on something with herself, and the answer remained a mystery for a few minutes. Miriel kept talking and Jaedon let her attention slip away from the whole world. However she came back as she heard the familiar sound of mischief ringing in her friends voice.
"Who needs physical strength... I can still beat you at chess." Jaedon did a cocked grin as she thought about how she triumphed over her friend each and every time Miriel tried to beat her at any kind of strategy game. Then a brilliant idea hit her, literally.
"Hey, I just thought of something... Do you have anything to do tonight after classes are over?" Jaedon had the same gleam of mischief that Miriel did as a plan for fun formulated in her mind.

[»Míríel«]

Miriel's green eyes rolled for a moment when Jaedon mentioned the chess. "Don't rub it in.." The cool feeling of the metal lockers soothed her aching head as she leaned against them. Those bright eyes closed for a moment as a serene expression came over her. It was almost the end of the day, then she could chill for the night. Her eyes flew open as she thought of the night. Such darkness, such utter darkness. Places needed to be light, they needed to have flame fire, light, not the hollow empty darkness. Her hand lifted slightly as her head bowed to look at it. This form, this useless constraining form. Why couldn't she spread her wings and fly like they were made to. But no, she had to stay in this form and suffer. This, skin, of hers was a cage that she couldn't get out of. Shouldn't she be bringing people hope and healing to others like her ancestors did? Why this disguise, why the trickery? Despair filled her eyes for a moment as her eyes traveled every line on her hand as she twisted it this way and that. How did humans stand this form?

Miriel was drawn from her thoughts as Jaedon spoke again, her reminisce had only taken a couple of seconds, but they felt like minutes to her. At first her expression was blank, like one being pulled from a deep sleep. But then the life came back into her eyes and she looked up, checking her schedule mentally. "Lets, see...tonight... no I don't think I have anything going......" Her eyes drifted down to her friends. She had noticed the mischief in her voice and face. Immediately her gaze became suspicious. Placing her hands on her hips she leaned toward her friend with an eyebrow raised. "What are you up to?"

[saerwen]

Jaedon giggled inwardly as she saw her friend suddenly start to think about something and then, place her hands on her hips like a disapproving mother giving her child a strong rebuke. The image was a fitting one with Miriels kind and sweet face giving a suspicious glance that was thoroughly worthy of praise, even though Jaedon had no clue how she had managed to create it and place it upon her visage.
Jaedon glanced up at the ceiling and then looked back to her friend as she gave a sideways grin with a bright gleam in her emerald eyes.
"Oh nothing..." The casual reply was not going to convince Miriel. The grin on Jaedons face came full term as Miriel's became more accusing. "Just a little fun and maybe some... fire?" Jaedon knew that with the word fire Miriel would view the fun chance as a must do. "Meet me in the library. We'll start there and then we will probably be forced to leave into the gardens or maybe even farther." Jaedon added mystery to her voice in order to prod Miriel even more. "You in?"

[»Míríel«]

Miriel raised an eyebrow a little higher when her friend gave a typical answer. She wasn't fooled. Then she heard the word, fire. Immediately her eyes glanced around her rapidly before settling back on her friends eyes with a growing intensity in those dark depths. "What do you mean fire?" just the word had caused her heart to leap with joy but it also made her break out into a slight fever.

"You in?" Her friends voice caused her to start slightly. Taking a step away she leaned against the lockers for support. There was something deep within her, yearning to be let loose, it eating her alive. Her eyes closed as she rested against the lockers. Their cool surfaced help her have control and peace. If you had come up and touched her you would have noticed an unnatural heat coming from her skin.
A sigh came from within her as she glared at her friend, "You know me to well.." She frowned slightly, her friend knew how to manipulate her. Standing up she smirked, "I'm in..." The bell pierced the air with it's piecing call. "Oh no! I'm going to be late!!" She turned to her locker to find that she had closed it. "Blast...." flicking the lock on the locker it only took her two times to get it open. Snatching her books she took off at a sprint, "I'll meet you after classes!!" Before long she had disappeared down the hall.

END
Will be continued in another location