youth [ic/closed]

SaveYou · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SaveYou** on Tue Aug 18, 2009 2:09 pm

this is a closed rp; do not ask to join, we have all the players we need.

youth

Summer
If you ask any teenager what the word summer means, a number of words spring to mind - school holidays, the season, spending time with friends. Freedom. Always a sense of freedom; no-one to watch over their every move, no-one grading them, making them do unnecessary work. A time to be themselves. A time to enjoy themselves. The freedom makes for days without worries - time spent with friends, with family, predicting school grades, but not really caring too much. Summer is a time for the young; summer is about youth.

Shalebridge is a small town in the countryside of England. The winters are harsh, and the weather unforgiving, but the summer they have is the greatest weather they have ever seen. This year, it has been exceptionally good. The sun shines on them every day, and while the sky is cloudy at times, the clouds are never grey, and never threaten rain; they're always the snowy white clouds seen in films, made with computers, but unless life is a computer game, these are most certaintly not fake. Everything has been perfect that summer. But perfection comes at a price.

August 21st; the Shalebridge Cradle was once the orphanage of the small town - a fire ripped through it, demolishing the house, and killing any left inside. Most were saved, but two or three children were trapped as the house collapsed. It was never rebuilt after it burned to the ground, the orphanage reloacted to a different part of the city. On August 21st, a sign goes up; Summer Youth Carnival, in town one week only - coming soon.

On August 23rd, it shows up; by the 25th, it's ready, and open for business.

Summer is drawing to a close at this stage, and everyone is glad the carnival has shown up - a way to send it out in style. The carnival leaves September 3rd; the day after, the local primary and secondary schools start back. It's ending with what's promising to be the most spectacular show that's ever hit the town, and one group of friends has decided that they won't miss it for the world. It's been a perfect summer; it'll be the perfect ending.

Perfection still has a price, and it's waiting to be payed. And that price will be payed; it'll be payed with youth.

- - - - - - -

Click.

The camera in Erin's hands flashed, and it whirred for a second before the picture showed up on the screen. It wasn't an important picture - it was two kids playing at one of the prize stalls, trying to win a giant teddy bear before the carnival left, but she had felt the need to take the picture, just like she felt the need to do just about everything else. She frowned a little at it, because the lighting was off - though that wasn't her fault. The sun was starting to go down, and the stalls had all those flashy signs on the front that were constantly lit up, so she couldn't really do anything about it. Checking the photo once more, she smiled - it was as good as she was going to get.

Screams momentarily filled her ears, drowning out the music she could hear from her iPod, and she looked up as the carriages on a rollercoaster whizzed by. She snapped a quick shot, but it was blurred and you couldn't see it at all, so she wound up deleting it. Sometimes it happened. Even so, it did look pretty good; if only the tracks weren't there. The sky was rapidly going from blue to gold, and there was tinges of purple on the horizon as the sun rapidly dipped below it. The clouds were gone now, and there was a faint breeze, but otherwise it was still perfect. The lights in front of all the stalls and rides were becoming more noticible now, neon colours in the approaching night.

This wasn't the first time she'd been to the carnival, and as far as she was concerned, it wouldn't be the last. It was in town for three more days, and she'd already been twice with her family, but the chance to go with her friends appealed to her more, and she'd jumped at it. They were the three people who she spent as much time as she could with, and because of them, this had quite easily been the best summer ever. Looking up at the rollercoaster again, she remembered this is why they had come that way - they wanted to get on it, and see if they could steal the front carts.

Looking over at the line, she grimaced.
"Fuh-fuh-fuck. I'm n-n-not queing up fuh-fuh-for th-that," She told them, pointing to the line. It seemed to stretch on forever, and the plan had been to get on sometime before midnight. It wasn't even a big rollercoaster either; but apparently everyone decided they had to get on that one ride.
"Let's go on the t-t-tecups instead." She suggested; they were going to go on those afterwards, and hopefully by the time they did those, the line for the rollercoaster would be smaller.
"Or have you any buh-better ideas?"

Ylanne · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Ylanne** on Tue Aug 18, 2009 2:35 pm

He stood at some distance from his friends, his arms held out slightly from his body as he flapped his hands, anxious eyes scouring the crowd. It was like he was hermetically sealed inside a coffin while still breathing. . . eventually, it would stop. Marwan wasn't completely sure why he had agreed to come to the carnival -- he supposed it was simply his attempt at participating in events with his friends. He found that others tended to appreciate it when he went places with them. Unfortunately, being here only recalled his past experiences in large, outdoor spaces filled with throngs of people and food and music. . . .

He tried to close his eyes for a moment, but he could still smell the popcorn on the ground, the cotton candy in a three year old's hand across the way, the body odor of a large man who apparently hadn't showered that day, and Erin's sweet scented perfume. He heard footsteps from every direction pound pound pound pound pound and music blasting -- somewhere -- some rap song he vaguely recognized and didn't particularly like. He saw flashing lights ahead of him, beside him, above him, beneath him. . . He felt people pressing in on him.

Furman v. Georgia. The Supreme Court had ruled in 1972 that the death penalty as it was then implemented was unconstitutional and did not meet the requirement of 'not cruel and unusual punishment'. There was a ten year moratorium before executions resumed. He tried to calm himself, lower the anxiety, with thoughts of court cases, legal documents. Things he could understand. Practical, explainable things. Things that didn't change or bombard his mental faculties.

Marwan flapped his hands harder. Erin had said something. He focused. "Let's go on the t-teacups instead. Or you have any b-better ideas?" What? He paused a moment, thought about it. Teacups. The ride? Better ideas?

"I, well, it'd be better not go on the teacups, for me at least," Marwan said. When he spoke, his voice had a strange, lilting quality to it. Sometimes, he was told, he spoke in a flat monotone. "Sometimes I have motion sickness. I don't particularly care for rides, if that's all right with you. I think I'll just watch. You can also discount anything that has a long line. My mother wants me home around ten, or before, if possible. Are you sure you want to stay?"

St.Jimmy · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **St.Jimmy** on Tue Aug 18, 2009 3:08 pm

Noah heard the ever-familiar sound of a camera shutter being pressed behind him, but he didn't turn around. No doubt Erin was simply taking her usual reams of photographs; he was too used to it by now to be surprised. It wasn't a cold evening - far from it - but he was still wearing a jacket with the collar turned up, as if as a buffer against a non-existant cold breeze. Standing with his back to the queue and the flickering neon lights in front of the stalls, hands deep in the pockets of his zipped up black coat, he felt - or hoped, rather - that he cut an impressive figure. He was watching the other visitors to the carnival go walking by, idly amusing himself by trying to work out what sort of people they were and whether they had any sort of back history. That fat guy eating candyfloss was probably an ex-convict, or some murderer on the run, eyeing up the teenagers crowding round the rides to pin-point his next victim. And that man over there was a spy, the small flag of the Union Jack in his left hand a signal to whoever he was supposed to be meeting with. Noah's thoughts often worked like this, his imagination running away from him in leaps and bounds, even though he knew that his speculations weren't true. It helped to ensure he didn't become suddenly hyperactive if his mind was occupied, despite the fact that he knew that nothing so exciting as what he had been thinking could ever possibly take place in a boring little nowhere town like Shalebridge.

The discussion between Erin and Marwan dragged him out of his thoughts and he turned back round to face the queue, which was filled with babbling teenagers excitedly awaiting their turn on the ride. Erin was suggesting that they go and do something else first; Marwan seemed eager to leave. Noah knew that Erin had already been here twice with her family, but this was his first time. His parents didn't approve of carnivals. They didn't approve of much, come to think of it; their idea of fun was a Sunday morning in the church and the afternoon watching Songs Of Praise on the BBC. He'd much rather be here with his friends.

"We're not leaving, Marwan," he said dismissively. "Can't you just be late home for once? Does it really matter if you get into trouble?" It had probably been the wrong thing to say. Noah always forgot that he needed to use more tact around Marwan. He turned to look back up at the queue, the sticky smell of candyfloss strong in the summer air as the rollercoaster rattled by on the tracks again, lights blaring in a blur of colour as the delighted screams from the passengers whipped through the air. He shrugged.

"I don't mind going on the teacups, if you like," he said indifferently, tugging at his coat. "I want to go on this at some point, though. And Marwan has to be home by ten, remember." The last sentence contained traces of a slight sneer, which he immediately hoped that nobody had picked up on. He always felt guilty after making fun of one of his friends, but it was said now and he couldn't take it back. "Shall we head for the teacups, then?" he asked hastily, hoping to cover up for it.

Ylanne · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Ylanne** on Tue Aug 18, 2009 3:39 pm

Marwan stared at Noah, flapping his hands harder, now beginning to pace back and forth, looking somewhere just beneath Noah's chin. He had always found making steady eye contact to be difficult. And the more stressed he was, the harder it would be to maintain.

"No! I can't be late for home! My mom said ten, so I have to be there at ten!" Marwan knew the feeling that made him suddenly warm was anger, but his voice had a hard time of showing it effectively. It simply sounded certain and adamant. Shouting loudly was difficult for him, as was using the appropriate level of mean, snobby, or sarcastic tone. "If I'm late -- I just can't be late, okay?"

He stretched out his hands, stretching each finger individually, trying not to flap them so much. After a moment, he was simply pacing, his posture rigid under his shirt. Marwan looked over at his friends. Other than Noah, they were smiling, laughing. Smiles and laughter. Happiness. Okay. He hoped it was the good, friendly kind of happiness. If staying here meant that his friends might remain that way, then he'd stay. As long as he was home by ten. As in walking in the door by ten. Noah's parents were unusually strict and conserative. Marwan wondered if that had anything to do with Noah's subsequent behavior, thought process, or attitude. According to his psychologist, Dr. Rainer, it did.

"Mememememememe," Noah said. "Mememememememememe." With great effort, Marwan looked up and met Noah's eyes. He was saying something. "And Marwan has to be home by ten, remember." Was that a statement of fact, a joke, or an insult? Damn if he knew. Was he supposed to say something? Damn, he was supposed to respond! Say something, he thought to himself. Say something! Marwan opened his mouth.

"Gibbons v. Ogden, 1821. According to the Supreme Court, the Constitution defines federal power to regulate commerce and such powers cannot be exercised by a State." It was the first thing he thought to say.

SaveYou · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SaveYou** on Tue Aug 18, 2009 3:45 pm

Erin shot Noah a look, knowing exactly what he'd meant by the last bit aimed at Marwan. Noah didn't deliberately wind them up, she knew, but whenever he did have something of a go at one of them, it always annoyed her. Marwan suddenly started speaking, something about courts and constitutions, but she didn't know what. Ignoring it, she spoke to him.

"If you n-n-need to be home by tuh-ten, I'll go with you, Marwan," Erin told him; she'd done most of the things here already, and it wouldn't kill her to miss the rest of it today, when she was planning on coming back soon anyway.

"Next time, though, ask if you can stay later. Otherwise we'll miss the fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh..." Erin spent the next ten seconds wrestling with the word before she could finally say "finale". There was going to be a massive show the last night, with fireworks and other things that hadn't been announced - it was all a suprise thing, and that was why she definitely wanted to go. It didn't start until half ten that night though, so having to leave at ten would be a bit stupid.

"We'll go to the tuh-teacups now, and after that, we'll come b-back up for roller coaster, okay, Noah?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Really, she wasn't too bothered what Noah thought, but she was asking to be nice. She stared at him for a second or two, before the camera came out, and the flash momentarily blinded her. Checking the way it had come out, she grinned. It was a good pose, and this was another one that could go on her bedroom wall.

"Suh-suh-sorry," She said, even though she wasn't really. Noah should be used to it by now anyway.
"We going n-now or what?"

St.Jimmy · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **St.Jimmy** on Tue Aug 18, 2009 4:00 pm

"Jesus Christ." The tone came out more derisively than Noah had intended, but he didn't feel as guilty this time. Anyone who had a whole backlog of important criminal dates and law cases stored in his head like some kind of encyclopedia of crime deserved to be looked at scathingly, in Noah's opinion. He looked determinedly in the other direction as Erin stuttered over her words; he always felt extremely awkward whenever she struggled to get anything out, not quite sure if he should try to help, or whether she would prefer to solve the problem by herself. As soon as she had managed to say the word 'finale', however, he looked back over at her, meeting her eyes as she stared at him for a second. Shifting his feet awkwardly, he was just about to open his mouth and say something when flash - he was blinking away the blue squares that her camera had left superimposed on his retinas. He supposed he ought to have been used to her doing this by now.

"No you're not," he said as she told him she was sorry, but he wasn't annoyed. Asking Erin to stop taking random photographs would be like asking her to please stop breathing; it just wasn't possible. He had learned that a long time ago. "I think the teacups are this way," he added, pointing to a stand a short way away. "Let's go."

The earth was baked dry underfoot, and he found his shoes crunching through discarded litter; drink cans flung unceremoniously aside after their owners had finished with them, and abandoned crisp packets wilting under the tramping of many feet. A half-eaten toffee apple was lying on the grass in front of him; he stepped carefully over it, not particularly wanting the sticky residue to coat the soles of his Converse.

Erin had been right. The queue for the teacups was considerably shorter than the one for the rollercoaster, and he stepped into it with his hands once more buried in his pockets. Glancing over his shoulder, he waited for the others to catch up, already impatient.

Ylanne · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Ylanne** on Tue Aug 18, 2009 5:27 pm

Marwan looked back and forth between Erin and Noah as they spoke, unsure to whom he should direct his gaze, and finally, he decided on Serra, who hadn't said anything yet. "I can try to ask my mother the next time we do something, but you will have to remind me. I wouldn't remember, you see."

Flash! Marwan blinked, his vision momentarily destroyed. Damn! He tried not to look anytime he saw Erin reach for her camera, but that was a difficult task. She was always taking pictures. Marwan flapped his hands for a moment, and then decided to follow his friends as they made their way toward the teacups. The line was much shorter, he observed. The one at the roller coaster had seemed to stretch on forever. Here, there were about six young teenagers and children with mothers standing in line ahead of them.

A smaller, quieter crowd. Marwan smiled, a shy lifting of his lips. Peace at last. He tried to ignore the sensory stimuli, but the chatter proved too much. "Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts," he muttered, pacing back and forth in line. "June 22, 2009. The Supreme Court ruled that the admission of certificates of state laboratory analysts stating that material seized by police and connected to petitioner was cocaine of a certain quantity in the drug trial of the petitioner was a violation of the defendant's right to confront witnesses." Reciting the case law and precedent calmed him. It helped him think, clear his mind, focus his thoughts. Lower stress levels. Dr. Rainer said it was because of his Asperger's. Marwan didn't tell anyone about AS except his family. And it was on his IEP, of course.

When Erin caught up, he spoke to her without looking in her direction. "I think I'll wait for you guys to finish first. Rides aren't so good for me."

SaveYou · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SaveYou** on Wed Aug 19, 2009 11:03 am

Following her friends towards the teacups, Erin was momentarily distracted. There was a small stall no-one seemed to be paying attention to, and it was unmanned; a small sign was stuck in the ground in front of it.

Wishing Well; see if your dreams can come true!

Erin found it strange no-one seemed to be using it; probably because it wasn't as good as the other attractions. She went to dig in her pockets, before remembering the dress she was wearing had no pockets. Her camera and iPod were currently tucked in to the small bag she had slung over her shoulder. Digging some spare change out of the purse in it, she dropped them into the well, leaning over and listening. It was pitch black in it, and even though she stood there for the better part of a minute, she didn't hear it hit the bottom.

Strange, she found herself thinking, before moving on. It didn't matter much, and she quickly caught up with her friends in the line to the teacups.

Elsewhere, two coins thudded into the brown, dying grass. Something stirred; and it began to wait.

Catching Marwan's words just before she joined Noah in the queue, Erin turned to him. Would Noah care if he got on them by himself? Serra would probably get on them with him, if she liked that sort of ride, and she spoke.

"D'you want me to wait fuh-for y-y-you?" She asked. "I don't m-m-mind, I've been on them be-fuh-fore,"

St.Jimmy · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **St.Jimmy** on Wed Aug 19, 2009 11:18 am

Marwan reached Noah's side, and just after him, Erin arrived. Once more, Marwan was talking about how he didn't particularly want to get on the ride, and suddenly Erin also seemed to be talking about sitting this one out. Noah gave her a black look. Hadn't the teacups been her idea in the first place - the whole reason they'd lost their place in the damn rollercoaster queue? He dug his hands deeper into his pockets, as if to underline the expression on his face as he surveyed her.

"Let me get this straight," he said, regardless of the fact that she was actually speaking to Marwan, and not him. "I wanted to go on the rollercoaster, but we all came over here so you could go on the teacups? And now you don't even want to go on the teacups? Jesus Christ, Erin. If Marwan doesn't want to get on them, I'm sure he's perfectly capable of waiting by himself. Right, Marwan?"

He sincerely hoped that Serra was still planning on getting on the stupid ride. He wondered what he would do if all three of them decided to wait it out. Get on by himself just to spite them? He would look stupid, he knew, spinning around in the midst of a bunch of thirteen year olds, but he was growing irritated at the whole evening, and as such he wouldn't care, because it would mean that his friends would have to wait by the side for him to finish in the queue and then for the entire duration of the ride. Making them do that had its merits, but he wasn't quite sure yet whether it was worth the humiliation he would feel, sitting alone in a revolving fairground teacup.

"So, are we or aren't we getting on the ride?" he asked the group at large, exasperation creeping into his voice. Why was it that they only had to queue for about five minutes before everyone changed their minds?

SaveYou · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SaveYou** on Wed Aug 19, 2009 11:29 am

Erin couldn't stop herself from giggling as Noah shot her the look, and started speaking. He didn't seem too happy, but he was always amusing when he got like that, and she shot Marwan an apologetic glance.

"S-s-sorry, Marwan; His Highness is apparently incuh-cuh-capable of getting on the ride by himself, so I have to buh-babysit him," She rolled her eyes, giving him an apologetic smile, before joining Noah in the queue. The ride was slowing down now, and that meant they'd be on it in a few minutes. Nudging him in the ribs with her elbow, she grinned at him.

"You juh-just can't help yourself, c-c-can you? We'll get you a new fuh-fuh-fuh-friend, a permanent one, so you n-n-never have to be by yourself," She told him, wiping the grin off her face and looking at him solemnly, until she finished speaking - a second or two afterwards, she burst out laughing. The queue suddenly moved forwards, and Erin ducked past Noah, quickly snatching one of the teacups in the middle, standing in it and grinning stupidly at him as she waited; she loved these rides. Sure, being on them and acting like an idiot made her seem immature, but it was all good fun, so what did it matter? Besides, they still had plenty of time; checking her watch, it was only quarter to nine, and even though the sky was rapidly going from gold to purple, she knew she was still going to enjoy herself until they had to leave.

Ylanne · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Ylanne** on Wed Aug 19, 2009 11:37 am

(OOC: Apologies for OOC in IC. But just wondering--where's the player with Serra?)

Marwan smiled distantly at Erin. Did she want to wait with him? He had always thought Erin to be the most thoughtful of the four of them. He himself tried to be friendly. It was why he had forced himself to go with his friends to this hell--otherwise known as a carnival. Others before self. To an extent, of course. Then Noah was talking and Marwan tried to focus. It was difficult though, with all the sounds and sights and smells bombarding his senses. "If Marwan doesn't want to get on them, I'm sure he's perfectly capable of waiting by himself. Right, Marwan?"

Damn. . . flashing. . . lights. Marwan closed his eyes, breathing in slowly and out even slower. It was a trick Dr. Rainer had taught him. He weighed his options. He could remain here and be miserable while his friends had fun. Or he could go home and retire with a copy of the Supreme Court's most recent ruling while his friends had fun. The first option was one positive and one negative. The second one, on the other hand, was two positives. In the end, he decided to forego the current situation, and opted for the latter.

Marwan cleared his throat and shifted his weight, turning to face Noah. His gaze fell to Noah's shoulder. "I. . . uh. . . Yes. I am capable of waiting by myself. But I think Erin was offering to wait with me. And if you don't mind, I'm inclined to take her up on that offer. It's a very friendly thing to do. However, if you would rather go on the teacups," he said, directing his voice to Erin, "then I have nothing against you doing that. After all, you came here to have fun. I only came along because you all did. And since you've already convinced me to join you for the finale, I think I ought to go home now. I've already watched you have your fun. And you can continue without me just fine, I'm sure."

Marwan didn't wait around for a response. He turned on his heel and left, walking with hunched shoulders through the fairgrounds, trying to avoid brushing up against any strangers. The quickest way--the fastest way--the exit was coming up on his left and he slipped through the gates, pressure releasing itself from his throat as though a thug had stopped halfway trough the process of choking him. The night was beautiful here, but the carnival not yet far enough behind him.

St.Jimmy · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **St.Jimmy** on Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:56 pm

Noah watched Marwan walk away with an odd, sinking feeling in his chest. Had that been his fault? He wondered briefly if he ought to go after him and try to convince him to stay, but he doubted it would help. It wasn't that he didn't like Marwan; far from it. The other boy was one of the only people who Noah had really befriended - he just always seemed to unintentionally say something that upset him or confused him, and generally caused problems between them. He didn't know why he constantly forgot that Marwan took things so literally, but he always seemed to say things that put his foot in it. Besides, Erin was waiting for him on the teacups, so after one last look at Marwan's retreating back, he turned and ran up the steps onto the ride, joining Erin in the teacup she had picked out.

"Come on, then," he said, one hand already on the warm metal wheel in the centre. It was one of those ones where turning the handle made it spin even faster; whoever had been on it last had obviously been gripping it tightly, because he could still feel the heat coming off it. "How fast do you think we can make it go?" he asked. In his opinion, they might as well spin the thing as quickly as they possibly could; it wasn't like they were going to get any other thrills of the teacups, for God's sake. Besides, Noah liked things that went fast and kept him entertained; it was hard for something to keep his attention for long, and anything that gave him an adrenaline rush was one of those very few things that entertained him for any length of time.

As he waited for the ride to start, he looked out across the fairground. The worker was going round making sure that the little gates on the side of each cup were securely locked, and Noah's eyes slid past him to where a deep purple shade was bruising the evening sky. He wasn't sure where Serra had got to; had she simply ducked out of the queue and was waiting for them by the side? The worker had gone back into his control booth by now, so he took hold of the handle again, waiting for the ride to start turning.

SaveYou · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SaveYou** on Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:11 pm

ooc;; DeeviousDemon is on holiday in Rome right now, I think, which is why nothing overly exciting has happened yet - I don't want to move on without them, but as soon as they get back, things can get exciting.

Erin watched Marwan go, feeling guilty as she watched him walk off on his own. She wanted to get out and walk with him, simply so he wouldn't be so alone, but the gate had been shut at that stage, and Noah was asking her how fast she reckoned the ride could go. Watching Marwan go for a few more seconds, she turned back to Noah, deciding to go after Marwan once the ride stopped. Sitting down across from Noah, she gave his words one second of thought.

"Fast as fuh-fuh-fuck," She told him, grinning at him and grabbing the other side of the wheel. Her hands briefly brushed his, and she moved them back slightly, still grinning. She loved it when things went fast. There was a loud buzz, and something that sounded like a foghorn that signalled the ride starting. The teacup they were in started to spin slowly by itself as it warmed up, and she grinned again, starting to twist the wheel, waiting for Noah to do the same. It didn't take long for it to warm up properly, and pretty soon they were going the fastest out of anyone.

"Come on, Noah, you pansy, you can do far better than that!" She shrieked at him, smiling from ear to ear. She never seemed to stutter when she was enjoying herself too much to care, and that was the case now, and she momentarily forgot about Marwan as her eyes locked on to Noah's, daring him to try and spin it faster, despite the fact they'd probably break it if it went any faster.

St.Jimmy · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **St.Jimmy** on Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:46 pm

Together, he and Erin had managed to make the teacup spin faster than Noah had thought would be possible. The world around them was just a blur of neon colour, but surely they had to be going faster than anyone else on the ride? He thought that they would probably break it if they tried to push it any harder - there was an ominous creaking coming from somewhere already - but at Erin's words, he knew that he would now have no choice other than to throw all of his strength into turning the handle. He had never been able to resist a dare or a challenge.

He met Erin's eyes; she was grinning at him, and he felt even more determined to prove to her that he could do better. Gripping the wheel with both hands, he turned it as violently as he could - and there was a screech, a bang, a flash of red sparks, and the whole teacup shuddered to a violent halt. Noah slipped off the bench, cracking his head off the side of it, but he was already laughing too hard to care. Their teacup wobbled precariously and threatened to tip over, just as there was a yell from the control room and the rest of the ride suddenly cut out of power completely. Head hurting and his body sore all over, but still laughing, Noah sat up, his coat covered in grime from the floor by the bench. He could see the cup behind them; it was filled with a huddle of nervous-looking ten year olds, who were peering over the rim of their cup. One of them had toffee apple sauce around his mouth.

"Are you okay?" Noah asked, turning to face Erin. He was aware of the sound of feet hurrying over towards them and levered himself back onto the bench, trying hard to regain a bit of dignity.

Ylanne · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Ylanne** on Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:54 pm

(OOC: I see.

Well what do we do til she comes back?)

"Hey. C'mere. It's the Lil' Lawyer." Laughter. Loud laughter. Crash. The sound of a glass bottle falling to the ground. More laughter. "Will ya look at that?" Darkness. Something rough against his skin. A liquid, thick and oozing, pooling around his face. A muscle in his thigh throbbing. He tried to move his arm but found he couldn't. Pressure against him. The stench of old sneakers. Unwashed bodies. "Whaddaya say we do wit the lil' punk? Show the bastard what a real man is like?"

"Nah. We've already beat him good. Let's go." Footsteps. Poundpoundpoundpoundpoundpoundpoundpoundpound. He felt the ground tremble with each footfall until the thunderous sounds faded into the distance. He smelled alcohol. The voices, Marwan deduced, belonged to Justin Gaetano and Chris Harding, two boys in the top form. With him. Twice before they had slammed him into his locker and left him there in the hall. Once, he had seen Chris smoking weed in the bathroom.

He supposed he was just outside the carnival when he had been jumped, and presumably beaten pretty badly, judging by the pain he felt, by Chris and Justin, and maybe several of their friends. Their posse, he liked to think of the clique as. The tough guys. The ones who beat up anyone they didn't like. Likely, he had gone into sensory overload, which provided him with a satisfying explanation of his confusion moments before. From the burning in his chest and reduced ability to breathe, Marwan deduced that at he had some serious bruises. The liquid around his head, he guessed, was blood. His blood.

He wondered what time it was. If it was after 9:45, he would be late getting home. He tried to push himself off the ground, but at first, his arm wouldn't hold his weight, and he crumpled back to the ground. Marwan took in a few deep breaths, his heart rate slowing. He put both palms flat on the ground, the tar still warm from the sun. With great effort, he clambered to his knees and found that he wasn't broken. Just bruised. Marwan took several deep breaths.

Boom. In the distance he heard the carnival. He probably wasn't far. He saw lights flashing all around him. Marwan looked up and saw the gate some five hundred feet away. He was standing between two streetlights, in the shadows, in front of a neatly trimmed shrub. There were people as close as two hundred feet away from him. He wondered if they simply had been oblivious to his beating. Coupla drunk kids roughhousing. As his father would say.

Footsteps. "Hey, kid, what are you doing?" Loud, stern voice. Bright light. Sudden bright, white light. He was blinded. Marwan took a few steps backward. "Hey! Hey! Hands where I can see 'em! Don't move!"

Marwan ran.

The source of the voice followed. "Hey! Stop! STOP! Freeze! Don't effing MOVE!" Another pair of footsteps joined the first. The bright lights and booming music grew louder. More voices. Chattering. A series of gasps and "Oh my!"s. Suddenly, he felt pressure on his back and he lashed out. He heard a whimper of pain.

"Damn! The kid hit me! The kid hit me!" He felt his face pushed into the ground, his arms wrenched behind his back. The cool metal of handcuffs. "Don't move, punk." The voice was low.

"I'm not a punk," he said. He felt hands moving over him. Wanted to smash the man's head in. Couldn't move.

"You have the right to remain silent. But if you don't mention anything that you later rely on court it may harm your defence." He felt breath against his neck. Wanted to move. He felt his wallet removed from his pocket.

"Got it. Your name's Marwan Zahir? Think he's a terrorist?"

"Looked like it."

"Were you drinking?"

"No," said Marwan.

"What were you doing? Who were you with? Is Marwan Zahir your real name? How old are you? You go to school here in Stalebridge? Where are your parents? Who are your friends?" Marwan couldn't take it. He opened his mouth.

"Miranda v State of Arizona, 1966, examined the US Constitution's 5th Amendment - the right against self-incrimination - and the 14th, the right to due process. Out of that came the four Miranda principles: right to silence, warning against self-incrimination, presence of an attorney, and that the State would provide one for you if you were impoverished."

"Jesus Christ!" The words were like an explosion.

"Listen, punk, this isn't America. This is the U.K. Now stand up."

He felt himself helped off the ground.

"What've you got there?" Another voice. Footsteps. "Who's this?"

"His ID says Marwan Zahir. He said something about Miranda rights."

"Marwan? Is that right? Look at me."

Marwan looked up. The man was taller, the nametag said Jenkins. Marwan smiled. "Sergeant Jenkins. How are you?"

"Calm as ever." Pause. "Marwan, why did these men have to chase after you?"

"They. . . ran at me, sir."

"Boys, let him go. Marwan's never drunk an ounce in his life. And he's no terrorist. He's an aspiring Mason. Why you look all beat up, Marwan?"

"Two boys from my school beat me up," he said. The officer behind him removed the handcuffs.

"Names?"

"Justin Gaetano and Chris Harding."

"Okay. Well call me if you need anything. Come on boys."

And Marwan found himself standing in the carnival parking lot quite alone.

SaveYou · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **SaveYou** on Wed Aug 19, 2009 3:04 pm

A massive thrill had gone through Erin as Noah started to spin the teacup faster, but he apparently gave it heart failure, because the next thing she knew, he was on the floor, and so was she, but because she was still gripping the handle, she was kind of crouching. Noah had pulled himself up on to the bench, and he was asking her if she was okay, but Erin was laughing too hard to answer him. Somehow managing to get herself back on to the seat, one of the men from the control room came rushing over with the keys to the gate, which they quickly unlocked.

"Are either of you hurt?" He asked, checking them over quickly; Erin was still laughing, so she just shook her head, before her and Noah were ushered off the ride. She didn't calm down until they were off the actual ride, and even then, she was still grinning wildly.

"Christ, Noah, how s-s-strong are you actually? You broke the fuh-fucking t-thing!" She let out another laugh, before she sobered up slightly, watching the ten-year-olds coming off the ride, looking disappointed their fun had been cut short by the two crazy teenagers.

"C-c-c-c'mon, we've got to catch up with Marwan befuh-fore he's too fuh-fuh-far away, and then find Serra, Guh-God knows where she's g-gone now - Marwan can help us l-l-look," Grinning at him again, she took off in the direction she saw Marwan going in, walking as fast as she could, hoping she could catch Marwan before he got too far ahead, and hoping Noah could keep up with her, because purple was rapidly giving way to black with silver spots as stars, and if they lost Noah, well, they were pretty fucked then. Glancing back to make sure he was still with her, she continued on, still smiling because of the teacups. God, only Noah could be the one to break the ride - it was just something you'd expect him to do, but still, that was the reason she was friends with him.

The oddballs had to stick together, after all. It didn't take long until they were out in the car park of the carnival, and Erin felt worry start inside her; what if something had happened to Marwan? Glancing nervously over her shoulder at Noah, she hurried through the car park, and relief grabbed her when she noticed Marwan standing there, looking confused.

"Marwan! God, you nearly guh-guh-gave me a huh-heart attack, we were l-l-looking for you!" The closer she got to Marwan though, the more she realized he looked different, before it finally sunk in.

"Oh my God, Marwan, whu-whu-what happened? Are you a-a-alright? You're still bleeding, Guh-God, are you o-o-okay? What huh-happened?" She demanded again, suddenly extremely concerned for her friend.

DeeviousDemon · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **DeeviousDemon** on Wed Aug 19, 2009 3:53 pm

((OOC: iFail :3 Will edit when I get back - bout 2 hours me thinks))

Her mind had wandered once again - thus she found herself alone in the crowd. The festive tunes mixed with contemporary rap and what not, twisting her nose a little at the musical nuisance playing her eyes fixated upon the shooting ranch. A greatly white smile gracing her face as she took a few steps forward getting closer to the stall. The neon-signs and colorful paint jobs on those stalls were a fun to analyze, this stall in particular stroke her as something out of a Wild Western. Raising an eyebrow, she gave the man behind the counter a devious smile before planting a 3$ on it.

"Yes, young lady you may have 3 tries!" he grinned back at her, before handing her a gun.

"Well, let's see, shall we?"

Taking aim carefully - she had done this now for quite sometime. Practice shooting at her Grandpa's farm, this wasn't going to be a problem now ... or was it? Holding the rifle lowered onto its pedestal, its butt carefully placed against her right shoulder - eyes squeezed gently - 'Bang ... Bang ... Bang'. A little accomplished smile washing over her soft features, she gave the result an approving wink.

"That wasn't too hard now was it?" she giggled slightly, the man stood there a little dazed by what he had seen - Serra didn't strike someone as a person who knew how to aim a gun - aim and shoot it. They say never judge a book by its cover, with a smug smile she pointed at a white polar teddy bear. "That one it is, young Lady" the man replied before reaching above him and grabbing one of them off of its hook. "Didn't think you had it in ya!" he laughed before handing the bear to Serra who returned his full hearted laughter with a quickly stuck out tongue.

"Thank you!" she grinned, turning around this time trying to find her friends. The teacups ... , they had to have gone there, wasn't it the last thing she remembered them talking about? Or was it ...? Doubting herself - yes that was one of the many qualities Serra possessed, doubting everything and anybody. Sighing, she made her way to the teacups - the crowd had somewhat subsided a little and she was quick enough to catch a glimpse at Noah who just exited the ride. Taking a few leaping steps into his direction she shoved countless people around before making her way to him. The other two weren't present ...

"Noah, umm ... if I remember correctly Erin and Marwan were with us, where did they wander off to?" holding the bear in one hand the other hand firmly planted on her hips. Grey eyes watching the guy, waiting for some sort of reply ...

Ylanne · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Ylanne** on Wed Aug 19, 2009 9:48 pm

(OOC: @Deevious: Not your fault. SaveYou asked me to edit. Twice. So that's the third and final version of that post. Apologies for all the confusion--but hey, it's SaveYou's fault, not mine.

*laughs evilly*)

Erin's voice hit him like lightning. She was speaking. . . fast. . . too fast to keep up. "May 26, 2009," he blurted out, flapping his hands hard in the cool evening air. "Splitting 5-4, the Supreme Court on Tuesday overruled its 23-year-old ruling in Michigan v. Jackson on the rights of a criminal suspect in police custody who has asked for a lawyer. The Court did so in Montejo v. Louisiana (07-1529), in an opinion written by Justice Antonin Scalia. After Scalia announced the decision, Justice John Paul Stevens spoke orally for the dissenters -- a somewhat unusual gesture. Stevens was the author of the 1986 decision that was cast aside; he was the only member of the Court then who is still sitting. Lyle Denniston."

His voice sounded foreign, metallic, somehow unnatural, even to his own ears. Marwan paced furiously in the parking lot, his hands flapping, his eyes staring at the ground. "What h-happened?" he repeated, Erin's words finally sinking in, as he looked up at the sky. It was dark out. "What h-happened." Think, he thought. Think. "Justin Gaetano and Chris Harding," he said, his voice strangely calm. "Two other students at their school. I was jumped. They beat me, I think. Then -- the police. Light. Pain. Questions. Questions. Questions. Sergeant Jenkins, my neighbor. Need to go home." Marwan glanced at his watch. 9:45. He slowed his pacing. "I think. . . I think I'll be late if I don't go now. I need to go home. I have to be home before ten."

St.Jimmy · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **St.Jimmy** on Thu Aug 20, 2009 4:55 am

Noah had followed Erin off the ride, stumbling slightly across the uneven ground. The hilarity of what had just happened was still sending laughter through him, but he was a little shaken, too, and the fading of his sudden adrenaline rush left him feeling slightly drained. At Erin's words, he shrugged somewhat modestly, which was not a word that could often be used to describe Noah.

"I think our cup was on its last legs anyway," he said. "It was creaking the whole way round. I just pushed it over the edge." He didn't think she was listening, though; she was talking about finding Marwan now, and the worry was evident in her voice. Noah felt a small flash of irritation that he couldn't quite place, but it was gone in seconds and then his hand was back in his jacket pocket, fingers brushing the edge of his small bottle of tablets. How long ago had he taken his last dose of Ritalin? He was sure he was probably due another one soon, but his friends didn't know about the tablets and he wasn't about to start taking them in front of them. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't quite realize that they had already reached the edge of the car park until he wandered right into the midst of a group of rowdy school children, who appeared to have come to the carnival on some sort of trip, and were heading back to their coach.

Their excited babble was all around him; the small boy to his left was enthusing about everything from the big rollercoaster to the colour of somebody's hat. Irritated at having lost Erin, he forced his way out of the crowd with great difficulty, nearly knocking one little girl over - he thought he recognized her as one of the ten year olds who had been on the teacups when he had broken them. At last, however, he had managed to extract himself from their midst and stood on the tarmac by himself, with no idea where Erin had gone, nor where Marwan was.

He was starting to feel a little odd, so whilst he was on his own, he took the opportunity to swallow two of his tablets, hoping that they'd help him to calm down a little. He had barely slipped the bottle back into his pocket when Serra's voice came from behind him and he turned in surprise to find her standing there, holding a stuffed polar bear teddy in one hand and the other planted firmly on her hip. She was asking him where Erin and Marwan had gone. Good question, he thought, scanning the darkening car park - he couldn't see them anywhere. A lot of people were heading for their cars now; he watched a battered red one reverse out of its parking spot and head for the exit, headlights gleaming in the gathering darkness. Overhead, the stars were coming out one by one, dotting the velvet sky with studs of silver. His gaze swept the car park again, but he couldn't see them anywhere, until - there! The headlights of a reversing blue car had bathed a shadowy portion of the car park into sudden white, and he could see Erin and Marwan standing there, looking as though they were in urgent discussion.

"Come on," he said to Serra, pointing ahead. Weaving through the parked cars and narrowly dodging one that was backing out of its parking spot, he finally reached his friends' side, and the first thing he saw was the blood trickling down Marwan's face.

"Christ," he said. "What happened to you?"

Ylanne · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Ylanne** on Thu Aug 20, 2009 8:45 am

Marwan took in the sight of Serra and Noah rapidly approaching him. He flapped his hands harder and looked thoroughly unbalanced on the blacktop. "Justin Gaetano and Chris Harding," he repeated, as calm as before. "Two other students at our school. I was jumped. They beat me, I think. Then -- the police. Light. Pain. Questions. Questions. Questions. Sergeant Jenkins, my neighbor." Marwan paced furiously, trying to block out the distractions around him.

“I have to get home, guys. It’s almost ten. My mother will be very upset if I don’t get home.” Perfume, discarded popcorn, sound of car keys. Distant laughter. Beer. Aftershave. Strobe lights pulsating. Parking lot lights—flickering—flickering—flickering. He closed his eyes and flapped his hands. “Federal law stipulates no statute of limitations on homicide. . .Murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree, manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide.” Marwan recited these terms in a singsong voice, the words a lullaby known only to him. “Did you know that assault is merely the threat of violence, and battery is that violence?”

He could just see his mother, standing in the doorway of their house, hands on her hips, slowly shaking her head, her lips pursed, her eyebrows arched. Where have you been, Young Man? Why are you home late? It’s after ten, Young Man. I specifically told you to be home before ten. Before ten. Before ten. Before ten. Before ten. But Marwan remained rooted to his spot, unable to move, unable to breathe he had to get home before it was ten his mother said so before ten before ten why couldn’t he just goddamn go, go home, go home? Eyes! Eyes! Eyes! Do you have a motion to submit? PV=nrt. Very good. Tickets, please. Look me in the eye! Marwan Afifi Zahir, I have told you time and time and time and time and time and time and t

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