BLACK WATER CHILD }{ tag: Keegan!

[WINN HOLDEN BRANTON.]

There was never anything wrong with eating school food, in Winn's opinion- maybe it was because he'd lived on TV dinners and takeout leftovers, but the stuff they served at Harbin always tasted good to him. While other people opted to go out to dinner, he would rather go for the food that the school provided for him- It was good enough for him.

Which was why come dinner time, you could find the junior standing in line for Thursday's pizza with not so much as a complaint. Sure the line was a little slower than usual, seeing as the other meal option was a soupy, foul-smelling chili... Everyone who usually filed into the two lines crammed into one, hoping to God that there was enough pizza...

The line inched ever closer, and eventually, Winn found his way face-to-face with the lunch lady serving the pizza. They didn't have the mean, gross stereotypical lunch ladies at Harbin- Sure, she was an old lady, white hair poking out of her hairnet, but she smiled and laughed and asked people how their days went... Best of all, from her southern accent, she was from the states- just a little bit of home every time he stood in the lunch line. Maybe it was because of the fact that his own mother had a severely strong accent (one that didn't carry over into Winn's dialect) but southern accents were always sort of... soothing to the boy.

"Well, hey there Winn!" she slurred, handing him a piece of the pepperoni pizza- looked like they made extra. Good people always made Winn's day. "Well hey there Martha," He grinned, thanking her before finding an empty seat at one of the many round tables in the cafeteria.

[Keegan Alexis Leilani]

Keegan had dreaded this day for many weeks now. Her mother let her say home a couple days and help unpack, but she wasn't going to let her stay home one more day. So on the most boring day of the week, a Thursday, she rolled out of bed and picked up yesterday's clothes off the floor. At this point she really didn't care what she looked liked. She wasn't one for great first impressions. Shoving a piece of toast into her mouth, she rushed out the door worried that she might have to chase down a bus on her very first day of school.

She hated the idea of riding a bus because in Hawaii it was always nice outside in the morning and riding the bus anywhere was considered a sin, wasting the best part of the day away on a smelly bus. Luckily she was a few minutes early and there was only one other person at her stop. Of course she didn't strike up a conversation but she did answer an unreassuring "yes" to the guys "you new here". She didn't have a schedule and thanked the lord for the office being right by the front doors. Getting her schedule she coasted through each hour which seemed to go by slower than slow. Once the first part of the classes were over, the part where the teacher so kindly introduced her to the staring faces, she seemed to feel better.

Lunch was the saddest part of the day for her. Keegan felt that the hopes of her sticking to her mom's promise and making a friend were slim. She didn't want to bring a lunch but her mom insisted, thrusting a brown paper bag into her hands. Her mom had no money to give her and Keegan felt bad, so she took the lunch. "Besides," she thought, "i don't have to eat it" But, as she walked to her bare locker she decided to take it because she didn't want to end up just staring at the table. She also took with her, a spiral notebook in which she kept all her film ideas-interesting plots, costume ideas, and some cool camera angles to try.

Following the flow of people to the lunchroom, she entered but slowed her pace. "Oh no! Where am I going to sit," she thought. There was not even an empty table in sight. Not wanting to look dumb standing there, she picked the far end of a rounded table already occupied by a curious looking boy. He looked a little older than she, but she decided that she would never find out because it was unlike her to socialize. Not feeling like eating in front of a complete stranger, she opened her notebook and just flipped through the pages, not really looking at them, because this wasn't the first time she had to avoid an uncomfortable situation today.

[WINN HOLDEN BRANTON.]

Winn had grabbed a handful of napkins before sitting down, ready to dab the hell out of his poor slice of pizza, a bottle of water in his hands. The pizza they had here was always too greasy, but it was nothing four or five napkins couldn't fix... Which he happily did so, humming to himself as he sat down on the blue plastic chair, crossing one leg over the other habitually as he resting his chin on one palm, using the other hand to scrape the orange grease off the cheese pizza.

Today had been a rather unspectacular, as most of the ones before hand had been- he went to school. He Acted and sung and danced and did all those things he's always loved doing, and while he wasn't complaining a little shift from routine would have been greatly appreciated- the only variable he'd noticed in the past two weeks was the food- this Monday, that Tuesday... Maybe he'd call someone and do something today, hang out a bit in the city... That was when an unfamiliar girl shy walked over and sat next to him, across the table. She looked a bit younger than he... And very, very shy. She didn't even touch her food, instead opened a notebook and started writing in it...

While it might be unlike her to socialize, It was quite unlike Winn to let the chance to talk to someone new. Which was why he felt her a godsend- here he was just thinking that nothing new was going on, and someone he'd never seen before comes up and sits next to him. He could hardly suppress a grin as he ripped of a piece of the pizza, chewing and swallowing as he started a conversation.

"Hey," He started- what better way to begin a conversation? "I'm Winn. Are you new here? I mean, I pretty much know everyone and I don't think I've seen you before." He smiled, taking another bite of his pizza. "What grade're you in?" he asked, hoping that this overload of questions didn't scare her. "I'm Winn, by the way."

[Keegan Alexis Leilani]

Keegan tried her hardest not to make eye contact with the boy across the table, in fear that he might start a converstaion with her. But she couldn't help but look up once or twice only to find him happily dabbing his pizza with a napkin and taking a bite. She wondered to herself how a task like eating greasy cafeteria food could bring such joy to a person's life. This made her angry because of that fact he looked like he was having fun sitting all by his lonesome and having a cheerful day, while she sat there being miserable. She picked up her pencil and angrily started drawing in the margin of a page that was already written on, when her fears came true. He started talking and Keegan thought or hoped for that matter, that the questions were directed towards someone else. She reluctantly looked up and saw him staring and it finally hit her that he was trying to start the conversation she had been dreading.

Her mind went blank, forgetting all the questions he had so kindly threw at her. "Umm....yes," was all she could say before gathering her stuff in her arms and just walked away, of course slightly tripping over her chair. While walking away she tried to replay what just happened in her mind. "What am I doing," she thought "this is not a good way to start out." When she got to the doorway she looked back at the boy sitting all alone at the table and suddenly felt really guilty for what she just did and would hate if that happened to her. For once in her life someone noticed her and actually was trying to be friendly. So she turned around and made her way back to the table, gently setting her stuff back down again. "I am terribly sorry for that little stunt. My name is Keegan.....and you are?"

[WINN HOLDEN BRANTON.]

He continued eating, asking more and more questions... He never really expected her to do what she'd just done. Answer, sounding like she was on the verge of a panic attack, and get up and... Leave. Winn sat there, mouth half-open and a pizza in his hand, trying to figure out... What the hell just happened here? Was this girl insane? Had he said something? Looking around to see if anyone else saw what he just witnessed, he set his pizza on the paper plate in a bit of confusion.. What the hell just happened here?

More than slightly flustered, Winn allowed himself a bit of time to gather his thoughts before shrugging and taking another bite of his pizza, all the while still wondering- was it something I said? Did she not like the way I spoke? Is she just stark raving mad? He liked that assumption, so without further adieu, the girl was now the type to brig a gun to school. That, or just a drama queen. Sort of like me! he thought with a bright smile- he poked fun at himself even in his own head. He didn't think it was anything bad- he didn't think any less of himself. To risk sounding arrogant, he loved himself.

He finished his pizza and moved on to the side dish- a pile of crispy french fries- when the chair opposite him scraped against the tile floor- he looked up, surprised and a little bit alarmed to see... None other than crazy-girl. She sat down at the table, gently setting her stuff down... No, she didn't look crazy! She just looked like she could use a paper bag to keep her from hyperventilating. no crazy, just shy. Well, shyness was no problem with Winn. He was outgoing enough for the two of them. "I am terribly sorry for that little stunt. My name is Keegan.....and you are?"


Winn smiled- Keegan. "That's a cool name, Keegan. Reminds me of Tegan, from that one band... " Too much, System overload, She's gonna bail on you again... I'll be the first one she shoots, He thought, the idea bringing another grin to his face- silly Winn. "I'm Winn. Are you new?"

[Keegan Alexis Leilani]

Tegan and Keegan?Great, she thought, I remind him of a band. After she sat back down at the still deserted table, she knew that this kid wasn't going to back down on the questions.....and the smiles. The real reason she left the table was because she knew that she isn't a very outgoing person, and didn't want to have this opposite personality make fun of her. Knowing that this conversation was going to take long anyways considering lunch was almost over, she answered "yes, i am new here."

Not wanting to bore him with her life story, she told him that she was from Hawaii and moved here about a week ago. But, for some reason right after she said that she looked up and saw that he was listening intently and it made her want to say more. No one has ever really cared what words have come out of her mouth and it seems like Winn knew everything to say at the right time. She was surprised that for someone who seemed to be quite the talker, was really kind to let someone indulge in the conversation too.Why the hell did i just run away, she thought angrily considering she could have lost a potential aquaintance, maybe even a possible friend.

So she gladly went on, trusting Winn with the slightly more personal stuff-she had a mom and a brother, liked watching movies, but most of all filming them. She even added that her favorite movies were drama. Keegan suddenly stopped herself because she realized that she might have said too much and that he too would walk off. This made her smile because opening up like this was a first for her. Scared of what he might say, she tried saving the conversation- "Enough about me,how about you Winn!" Completely out of breath, she clutched the edges of the chair and for some kind of an answer.

[WINN HOLDEN BRANTON.]

She was so, so painfully shy... He wanted to reach over the table and hug the girl, she was so adorably introverted. He smiled as she continued speaking, "yes, i am new here." He wiped his hands on his napkin, reaching one over the table to offer it for her to shake, "Well, it's very nice to meet you, Tegan-Keegan who is new and likes pulling stunts. Are you a performance artist, by any chance?" He grinned- maybe she'd get the little joke.

She began talking- first about where she was from, Hawaii- Winn couldn't help but interrupt at the 'good parts-' which to him, was every other second. "Hawaii! Geez, that must be beautiful. I've never been to Hawaii, is it nice? It's gonna be mighty cold for you in the winter! I bet you're cold now..." Eventually, he'd stop talking and let her continue- a bit about her life, how she was into film... Enough about me,how about you Winn!" Winn grinned- she was absolutely out of breath.

"Well, I live in Miami, actually," he started, wondering if he'd be able to smoothly transition from her sweet little family to his own... rather messed up one. He like his family, didn't think there was anything wrong with it, but she might think differently... "Of course, I live here during the school year. But in the summer, you know. I live with my mum, who... Is sort of a hairdresser, and Colin. Her husband. He's going to college for... Music journalism, something, right now." No need to add that she did more drugs than she did dye jobs, that he was only nineteen, that his real dad was probably rotting away in an isolation cell at the psychiatric hospital right now...

He missed his dad. He could talk to his mum over the phone all he wanted but there was no way he could talk to his dad unless he was right there- it was downright impossible to understand his father on the phone. For most people, if was impossible to understand what he was saying at all, with stutters and weird references and crazy twists in the conversation... There was no need to bring him up, though. No need to make her feel uncomfortable.

"I'm a theatre major, by the way. Musicals, mostly. Well... Entirely. I can't act a drama to save my life," He grinned, finishing his pizza in one rather large bite, his cheeks puffing out as he tried to finish the last bit. "But I'm sure you could already tell that- I've been told I act like a musical actor. Bubbly, all that. I'm just too happy to be dramatic."