[CLOSED] how high can you fly with broken wings?

[tisha noelle gillespie]

Noelle smiled, but couldn't help blushing a bit. The boy was actually kind of cute. 'If you're gonna be being raised like siblings, you don't need to be thinking like that.' She thought, finishing off her pizza crust. She picked up the slice, and took a bite, glancing over at her father. He was reading over papers, eating his pizza carefully. Scrappy walked in the door, just as big as Dice, only with grey in his fur.

"That's Scrappy." She told Sedrick with a smile. "You wanna go play with Salt after dinner?" She asked, reaching over for another piece of pizza.

[richard marcus johnson]

Richard chuckled as she blushed. But he didn't want to get in trouble, and stopped trying to be flirty, even if sometimes that's just who he was. Finishing his second slice, he got up and found a glass, filling it with water.

Sedrick glanced up, smiled faintly. He had a charming smile, but he rarely used it. "Sure.."

[tisha noelle gillespie]

"You should smile more often." She said, pulling a piece off of her crust. "Wheeee." She giggled as the cheese stretched. But it got her on a coughing fit, and she grabbed her napkin, holding it over her mouth. She got up from the table, walking out into the foyer as she started to cough harder. All she could think of was the accident, lying in the back of the car with her chest crushed, breathing in nothing but exhaust. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get her breath. She finally took in a deep breath, and the coughing went away. She walked back into the dining room, her mom looking up.

"Why don't you three go swimming? You need to teach Salt how to swim." She said, and Noelle nodded, taking her seat again.

[richard marcus johnson]

Richard sat back down, chuckling at her antics. He frowned some when she coughed and walked away, looked at Sedrick who met his gaze in question. "What?"
"Nothing."

As she returned, Richard nodded, smiling faintly, eyed his brother again. Sedrick shifted his weight uneasily, self conscious. "Aw, c'mon Ricky.. Come swimming with us."
"Fine.." He mumbled huskily, clearing his throat.
Richard knew his brother was worried about questions about the scars and scabs. Rich only hoped anyone with questions came to him instead of asking Sedrick directly.

[tisha noelle gillespie]

"You want us to go now?" Noelle asked.

"You have to wait on your food to settle. But you guys can go outside." Her dad said. She got up from the table, stealing the rest of her crust. Scrappy nudged her, and she nearly fell over. "No people food for you."She said, holding it over her head. He growled, pawing at one of her wings. She raced up the stairs, the dog hot on her heels.

She came back down, her wings retracted into her back. "Oh, Scrappy. Gosh. You act like we don't feed you or something." She complained, the dog nudging her to the study. "I know, Scrappy. Leave her alone." But he whined, nudging the door. "Come on, you wanna come swim?" She asked, and he whined again. She shrugged, walking out onto the patio. She pulled off the old oversized shirt, fixing her little grey bikini she had on. She grabbed the bottle of sunscreen and sat on a chair, starting to put it on. A little tiny white puppy came bouncing up the steps, barking at her.

[richard marcus johnson]

Richard laughed, watching her go before heading to his room to change. It was strange to think this was a place he could call home. He wandered down the stairs, fixing his swim trunks on his toned body. Sedrick followed close behind him, a hair tie on one scabbed wrist and he was stretching it for a reason not to look up. Scars of cuts littered up his arms and over his hips and stomach. Needle scars littered his inner elbows and there was a gash indented over his heart.
Richard smiled at him reassuringly, leading him out to the patio.

[tisha noelle gillespie]

Noelle smiled as the boys came out, handing the sunscreen to Richard. "You gotta get my back." She said, pulling her short hair up so he could get her neck. Salt bounced around, barking at everyone in turn before he ran out into the lawn, growling at a blade of grass that was obviously intimidating. "Thank you." She said as he finished, and walked over to the stereo, flipping it on. She went through the CDs, popping one in.

"Look into my eyes and I'll own you." She sang with a smirk, looking Richard over before she leaned over the railing of the patio. "I like your swim trunks, Sedrick." She said with a smile, then danced out into the back yard, scooping up the puppy. She waved at the neighbors, their teenage boy looking her over with a faint smirk. "Wanna come swim?" She asked, and he shook his head, heading back inside.

[richard marcus johnson]

Richard helped her with the sunscreen on her back, then began to lather if on for himseld, having Sedrick help him, and helping him in turn.
He watched Sedrick crouch to play with the puppy, mumbling thanks as Noelle spoke.

[tisha noelle gillespie]

Noelle watched the two before she opened the gate to the pool. She sat the puppy down, and it barked, running around the pool. She carefully got in the water, biting her lip. "The water's cold!" She complained, swimming over to one of the innertubes. She draped herself lazily over it, swimming around in a circle.

[richard marcus johnson]

Richard smirked, diving in and making a wave on the way to splash her. He laughed as he surfaced, pushing his hair from his face. "C'mon Ricky!"
But Sedrick hesitated from where he had crouched beside the puppy. He slipped his feet in, the stepped in at the shallower part, the water coming up to his scarred stomach before he waded deeper.

[tisha noelle gillespie]

Noelle wrinkled her nose, splashing his way. "I already took a shower and you went and got my hair wet." She complained, splashing him again. She reached over, looping her arms around his neck and slipping her legs around him. "Whee! Forward!" She teased, smiling over at his brother. She watched the puppy hesitate, then jump in, following after Sedrick. "Come on, lazy bones. Swim." She said, tapping him on the head.

[richard marcus johnson]

Richard bit his lip, offering a crooked grin. He knew he was supposed to accept her as a sister, but it was still like any other girl clinging to him at the moment. She wasn't blood related, it was okay to think she was cute, right? "Ow ow ow," He taunted as she tapped his head. He began to move through the water with her, glanced over at Sedrick who was coaxing the puppy farther.

[tisha noelle gillespie]

"Whee!" She smiled, hugging him tightly. She laid her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his chest. She watched his brother playing with the puppy, Salt swimming slowly towards him. His little legs couldn't carry him very far, obviously. "You think he's gonna be okay here?" She asked Richard, looking over at him from his shoulder. She didn't want them to feel out of place here, especially the one who seemed to be the shyer of the two. 'He shouldn't be this cute..' She thought, looking at Richard from the corner of her eye.

[richard marcus johnson]

Richard followed her gaze, eyebrows furrowing. "I hope.." He murmured. "He just.. Doesn't like change. And he's had it a lot lately. He's struggles enough as it is. But...he's been okay today. It's not every day he meets new people that don't call him a freak..." He watched Ricky gently support the puppy as it got tired, helping it out of the pool so it wouldn't drown.

[tisha noelle gillespie]

"I don't see why anyone would think there's anything wrong with him.. He's just troubled is all. And there's nothing wrong with that. I mean, you guys didn't call me a freak cause I'm the size of a four year old and I'm dead and half the day it kills me to speak at all. Or my parents because they're all rich and stuff. They must've seen something in the two of you." She smiled over at Sedrick, watching the dog flop over on it's back and fall asleep.

"You like my puppy? He's little like me." She said with a smile. "You gonna tote me around now? I'm far too lazy to walk."