Sweet are the Uses of Adversity PV P2

A hoodie. Alexx was wearing a hoodie. It wasn't often that she did so, especially if it wasn't cold out. However, today she wanted to look inconspicuous. For Alexx, a Prefect, that was hard to do. She departed from the badge (and by departed, she means that she placed it under her hoodie, in case anyone else happened to be attempting a plant heist and she needed to give them detention), attempting to look normal. Her hair was placed inside of the hood so that no one would be able to point out her golden blonde locks.

Hands in her pockets, she walked, and it should be noted that she was doing so casually, to the greenhouses. She attempted to loosen her legs, making her walk much less powerful. However, in this process, she also managed to look something like one of those inflatable men. The limbs on her body suddenly hung awkward and flowy.

When she saw Reid, her mind went straight to Chicken Boo. Now, Alexx didn't have much experience with muggle stuff. She had good knowledge, but it wasn't as if she were totally emersed in the culture. But one thing that she knew was Animaniacs. Reid looked like Chicken Boo. He was a giant chicken who would dress up like regular people and somehow excel at everything that he tried. Reid, sitting there in his sunglasses, was basically a Chicken Boo. It was cute, at least.

She knew that it was Reid because deep down, she knew that both of them sucked at concealing themselves. But she also knew that it was Reid because she couldn't think of a single other person who would waste their time around the greenhouses. Only those plotting a plant heist. So that left Reid as the only option.

As inconspicuously as she could, she made her way next to Reid, checking her surroundings to make sure that no one was watching. "I'm here," She announced in a low voice as if it weren't obvious. "You ready?"

Alexx had never really done anything bad. She was a Prefect, after all. It was hard to get away with doing bad things. She didn't want to soil her name or get kicked off the team, so in general, so attempted to stay in her lane. But now, at the end of the year, she saw her chance. With the plan to step down anyway, she had nothing to lose. So, she was going to steal a plant.

Not just any plant, however.

Douglas.

Douglas wasn't just any plant. He was her pride and joy; her greatest accomplishment. Douglas signified the bonding point in her friendship with Reid. Everything started with Douglas, and they'd probably end with him, too. The two were quite proud of their plant, even if Alexx almost killed him a few times by overwatering. Slowly, Reid had shown her how to maintain it.

Now it was time to collect him. And Alexx was quite glad that Reid agreed! It made her feel much more confident in herself. Yesterday was merely a bad day, but she could move on from that. She also had something for Reid- something to show that she wasn't terrible or anything like that. Whether or not he thought that of her, she didn't know. She hoped not. But nevertheless, she had to be entirely sure.

But she would deal with that later. Right now, the focus was on Douglas.

A sigh of relief escaped her as he agreed. She had feared that he would have turned back, being too nervous to carry on. She wouldn't blame him. Theft would warrant detention. The fear of getting in trouble was enough to make anyone want to turn back. You never know who was going to catch you. She hoped, however, that her being a Prefect would divert attention from her.

Humming, she tapped her chin, examining the place. "We could... We could climb through a window? I am not sure if Alohamora would work on these doors. Maybe it would... But I think if we can open a window and climb in, that might work." It wasn't going to be inconspicuous. People would notice two second-year students climbing in the windows.

She walked over to where the windows were, examining them. Douglas was in there, alright. But now she needed to get herself in there too. She supposed that she might be just a little bit too short to get in. "I think that I might be too short." She thought aloud, tapping her chin again. Her head was tilted, and she was trying to think of a way to solve her problem. She hadn't thought this part through.

Last night, she had gone over what she thought to be every detail. However, to her, the journey was what mattered, not the destination. But she missed the crucial part of the journey; the part where they broke into the greenhouse. She did, however, write Reid up a very well written letter along with some French phrases for him to learn. Those two were far more important than however the Hell they were getting into these greenhouses.

She had never felt so much adrenaline in her life. Not from just being bad. Breaking the rules had a thrill to it that she understood now more than ever. A week ago, she would have questioned why anyone would ever want to break the rules, knowing the consequences that they faced. But now that she was here with Reid, the two of them about to be entirely stupid, she understood it. There was a thrill than ran through every aspect of your body, running up your spine, setting off those tingly feelings. You knew that it was wrong, but you just couldn't help it. This was a form of euphoria. Would she ever get enough of this?

And who better to do it with than Reid? The two couldn't seem to stay away from one another. Whether it be the coincidence that they were partnered together in class or the fate that brought the two together any chance it got. She didn't mind, however. Reid was a joy to have around, and the closer they got, the better she felt. Never in her life had someone made her so nervous yet so at ease. She was afraid of losing him yet cherishing every moment she had with him. Their friendship, at least on her part, was an entire paradox. She just hoped that she wasn't confusing him.

If she could pick one person to always have these adventures with, it would be Reid Kovacs. If she could pick one person to be her friend forever, maybe even best friend if that were something that could happen, then she would pick Reid Kovacs. Alexx didn't have many friends as it was. It did her good to keep around the one person who just never seemed to grow tired of her.

As much as Alexx would have loved to disagree with Reid, they didn't have much time to waste. Going all the way back around just to see if a spell would work was... Well, it wasn't the most time-friendly. She was also hesitant about trusting Reid, but then again, this could prove her wrong. She was the one so adamant on being his friend, anyway. She may as well show some respect.

Taking in a deep breath, she nodded. "Okay. I trust you, then." Curse her being such a late bloomer! Alexx didn't know if she'd ever gain any height! While girls her age were sprouting up to 5'5", she stayed put, below 5" as it was. If she could just grow a few inches, then she wouldn't have to face being so embarrassed in front of Reid. She didn't even mean to be so self-conscious about her height, but it was hard not to when everyone around her was springing up like weeds, meanwhile, she was the stubborn one that just wouldn't grow. With the potential to be a flower. she was classified as nothing more than a weed, and that was all because of her height.

Looking back at him, her massive eyes glistened up towards her friend. "You'll come in after me, right?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. She didn't want to do all of this alone- risk getting caught alone. Perhaps the professor wouldn't think twice about a Prefect snagging a plant, or perhaps they would. But she didn't want to face all of this without someone. She would begin shaking, freaking out, and then back down from the master plan. Alexx wasn't a pussy! But she hadn't ever done something like this before, either.

Shrugging, she decided to blow it off, not wanting to sound too clingy. "I mean, I can go in on my own too if you want to keep watch. Whatever." She shrugged again, diverting her eyes from him. She didn't want to look like she was too worried about him or anything. That would be an ugly impression. Most of all, she did not want him to think that she was that type of person once you got to know her, because she certainly wasn't. Alexx just happened to have a few nice bones in her body, and some of them were specifically reserved for Reid. Her "cold and hard" front wouldn't last forever. Neither would the "shy and innocent" one. Reid would have to find a middle ground; the real Alexx.

Her hands moved around in her pockets, making sure that her pieces of paper were secure. It was meant to be a surprise, and she didn't want him knowing just yet. She smiled to herself, wondering how happy he would be. Alexx liked to make her friends happy. Like the Valentines Day card that she sent him- she had hoped that brought him joy. Sure, she would poke fun at him lots of times, but really, she wanted to see all of her friends happy.

Breathing in once more, she eyed the window. "Alright, then. Lift me up, I suppose. I do hope you are strong. I don't weigh a lot but... Just... Don't drop me, I guess." She concluded, running a hand through her hair. She would prefer to not bust her ass today, if at all possible. It wasn't exactly that she didn't trust Reid, she just didn't know how much strength could come from a 12-year-old boy. Sure, he was active, but could he lift 90 pounds?

It wasn't that Alexx didn't believe Reid, or trust him to stick it out with her, it was just that she had never felt or experienced this loyalty with anyone else. Reid was a first. She was glad, of course, because this was the sort of thing that she had been craving for her entire life. Reid was, more or less, her first real friend. Something coursed through her bones, pulsated in her veins; it made her feel alive. Some might call it adrenaline, but Alexx didn't know what to call it, nor did she know if it truly stemmed from the feeling of breaking the rules entirely, or if it was because of Reid.

The sharp hiss from Reid startled her back into reality. Was she heavy? She had been told that she was abnormally small- close to the weight that a twelve-year-old should be, but not exactly. Then again, she didn't believe that Reid was benching ninety-eight pounds in his free time. But she decided that the problems of normal teenage girls were not going to concern her right now, and instead, she would do as he instructed. "Right..." She mumbled, trying to pull herself up. Luckily for Alexx, despite her small frame, she had muscle on her.

The idea of falling from roughly 160 centimeters was painful to her. Her arms shook a little bit as she made the attempt to lift herself up, but her fear of falling kept her from doing just that. Hoisting herself in, she did something akin to a barrel roll onto a wooden table, knocking some plants off in the process. "Merde!" She hissed under her breath as the skin on the palm of her hand briefly caught some of the shattered glass. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she pushed them away with her sleeve, bringing the green edge of her hoodie down onto the small wound.

Hopping off the table, she looked around. Luckily, Douglas was far enough away to have not been a victim to her crash. Turning back around, she called out to her companion in a hushed tone. "It's safe, you can come in now." Climbing back up onto the table, she poked her head out. "'Kay, I'll open the door, then." She followed up through a giggle, eyes squinting with laughter. She jumped off immediately after, headed for the doors.

The palms of her hands were now caked in sweat, dirt, and a little bit of blood. That wouldn't be fun explaining later on. For now, she would just suck it up and deal with it. She didn't really want for Reid to find out, in fear that he might blame himself somehow, but she couldn't concern herself with the inevitable. She would cross that bridge when she got there.

On her way to the door, her eyes flickered to Doug. She wondered to herself how they would smuggle him out without looking too suspicious. For the very first time, Alexx did not have a solution to her problems. Perhaps Reid, who seemed to be creative in his own way, would figure it out. She went in here without a plan and was suddenly realizing how dangerous this really was. Her adrenaline turned into anxiety. She now felt like crying, but she knew better than to do that in front of someone who she admired.

Her hand touched the door handle, leaving a dirty and bloody print on it. Damn her for cutting her dominant hand! Pushing open the door, she peaked her head around, looking at her friend. "M'kay!" She called out, smiling at him.

Alexx pushed her hand behind her back firmly, smiling at Reid. The last thing that Alexx wanted was to go to the infirmary. She didn't want that sort of attention on her, and she didn't want for Reid to worry. There were downsides to being a fairly stereotypical Slytherin- one being that she was extremely independent. By this point, there was a dark spot that had grown on the fabric of her sleeve, so there was no ignoring the wound. "I'm fine," She shrugged, still smiling.

It hurt like Hell. There was no denying that. Any amount of pressure put onto the wound would certainly call for wincing, and perhaps a faint whimper would escape him. Reid would not be blind to her pain, and if he were, he would be dumb. But she didn't wish to discuss it with him, because- well, there were better things afoot. Her injury would not take away from this moment, and if anything, the potentially lasting scar would be a souvenir. A symbol worn as pride for their accomplishments today.

Her attention turned to Douglas, hoping his would as well. "He's grown a bit, hasn't he?" She asked in an excited voice. Changing the subject was an art that she would love to perfect, and so silently she hoped that Reid would be distracted enough to no longer worry about her hand.

She did manage to beam at his words. Couldn't ask for better. They were friends, but she felt as though this was the start of something more. Good friends, that would be what they could be called. It was fait that Alexx had dived at his feet, but she didn't regret making a fool of herself if this were to be the outcome. In the same light, if the next few years of school were filled with Alexx and Reid doing riskful tasks such as committing "grand theft wildlife", she would not be disappointed. Reid was the ideal friend. Good. Kind. He was the type of person that she needed to surround herself with.

"You going anywhere after this? I suppose that dinner may be soon. We do need to hide him, though." Admittedly, Alexx was curious if his home was going to remain in the Hufflepuff common room. She wouldn't be opposed to that, but if there was a better place in which they could hide him, one in which Alexx could see him too, then she would be all ears.