Green Eyes and Blue Eyes FINISHED

As she sat sitting there, splashing her feet in the water, Bailey heard a familiar voice call her. It was a very loud and energetic voice, clearly excited. Turning, bailey saw @Colin McCoire and @ AngelFyre McCubbin. Colin had been the one calling her, so she stood up and waived. Slipping her book into her bag,
Bending down, Bailey slipped her sandals on and tied them quickly before standing up straight again.
Heading over towards the pain, Bailey walked at a leisurely pace, but not too slow.
Once she reached talking distance, Bailey smiled widely at them and said “Hey guys! How are you doing? Thanks for inviting me over! I would have come over sooner, but I did not want to intrude.”
Sitting down, Bailey laced her sandals up, making the bows prettier. When she had retied them by the lake, she had not made them super pretty, due to her excitement to see her friends.
Sitting down, Bailey looked at AF and then Colin. They did seem pretty serious- wondering why, Bailey said “I really hope I am not interrupting anything- if I am, I can leave.”
Frowning a little, Bailey crossed her fingers and hopped that her friends would let her stay. She would leave if they asked her too, but now she wanted to know what was wrong.

Colin heard soft footsteps coming closer as AngelFyre came smiling out of her own --- trance? That was the word she used of Colin's own experiences. He wondered if they were the same for her. He turned with a smile as Bailey came over. "Bailey! You're my friend, your not intruding!"

Colin got up from the bench so Bailey could sit there and once she was settled he sat down on the stones of the Courtyard so he could clearly see both his friends.

"Fyre Angel and me were talking about poetry and Eyes of Sky --- you know, Jarael! Um ---" he paused slightly "--- love poetry." He smiled bashfully. "Er ---" he bit at lower lip and flexed his toes "--- I like her a lot. Um. ---" His voice trailed off. He hadn't admitted it generally, but hadn't he told Sophia he'd shout it from the top of the Astronomy Tower? That is, would shout it from the Astronomy Tower if first years were allowed up there!

Colin's eyes looked off into some far place and he stood up solemnly, as if preparing to give an answer in class. His heart pounded. He stretched out his left hand, into the space between the girls. "Eyes of Sky!" he said and his own eyes twinkled. "Jarael Morningstar, tis you I love!" He said it quietly but with resolution in his voice. He smiled and lowered his head with a sigh.

And the moment passed and Colin sat again on the courtyard stones. His face and neck turned bright red. "Sorry about --- I get like that sometimes, Bails. It's just that --- Jarael --- I can't explain it. My heart just feels like it's full and going to explode!"

He looked up into his friends' eyes, his own eyes still twinkling.

Interacting with: @AngelFyre McCubbin | @Bailey Glade || Mentioned: @Jarael Morningstar

WC 234
@Colin McCoire @Bailey Glade @AngelFyre McCubbin

Colin let our a big sigh as AngelFyre asked if he could put a name to the dread he was feeling about Jarael. He looked up at her and Bailey and was about to speak when he heard someone approach. Quinn! He turned with a big smile as she said she'd beat the snot out of anyone who was bothering him!

"Quinn! Easy tiger!" It was difficult to suppress his mirth when Quinn got herself all riled up over something. He knew she wasn't for show --- she literally would beat the snot out of anyone that was bothering or bullying him! "Sit!"

Colin sighed again as Quinn settled herself. "We were just talking about Jarael, Quinn. You know --- Eyes of Sky! Remember? Twas actually here at this bench ---" he brushed the stones of the courtyard next to him gently and his eyes lost focus on the immediate world "--- she crouched here. Her feet touched these stones; and I sat there in the grass at Bailey's feet. And she danced! Bearing a chocolate frog, she came over here and crouched down and faced me."

Colin's eyes dilated as he remembered the scene. A smile grew across his face. "Jarael gave me the frog and I sniffed the box. I opened it slowly and held it lightly, waiting for the magic!" Colin held his empty hands in front of him, reenacting the motions. "Remember? The frog and I leapt at the same time! I caught him in my teeth!" And with a suddenness, Colin leapt up in front of the girls, and landed in a crouch at the their feet!

He smiled, rising up out of a deep reverie.

"The thing is," he said, rocking himself again. "I --- I don't know what ---" Colin paused, lost in thought. "No. I know what to do. I just don't know --- if I can." He caught sight of a curious pebble in the grass. He picked it up.

He looked up at his friends. "I do love her. That I'm sure of. I'd do anything for her. --- Well, Sophia said I oughtn't be a simp, but still! There's not much I wouldn't do for Jarael! I'd defend her and look after her, help her with anything. I'd pray for her and study with her." He smiled as he held the pebble before his eyes and examined the its smooth green surface. He slipped it into his pocket. "It's just that, I know what I want to do, I just don't know how to do it! I've never --- felt like this before and well, I'm confused. She's my friend and I don't want to ruin that. I don't want to hurt her, like, what if she doesn't like me the way I like her? It's just that my head is going to explode."

Colin sat back on the grass, took the pebble out of his pocket and smiled as he tossed it up in the air and caught it!

@Jarael Morningstar || @Quinn Root | @Bailey Glade | @AngelFyre McCubbin

As she sat and joined AF and Colin, AF explained about Colin’s trouble. It seemed that he loved Jarael, and yet was confused and unsure.
Bailey understood his hesitation, but also knew of the excitement and such AF spoke of.
Sighing, Bailey moved over to Colin and wrapped him in a huge hug. Drawing away, she spoke.
“Love is a beautiful but delicate thing. I understand your hesitation and such, but do not give up on it. Jarael is an amazing person, as are you, and I do not know where it would go wrong. I doubt it will, so I say you tell her. I doubt she will stop being your friend even if she does not want to be more, but as I said I doubt it will get to that.”
As she was speaking, another person came up. It was Quinn, another of her friends. She was a fierce girl, but someone who cared deeply for her friends. She reminded Bailey of her friend Kim. Quinn was a trickster as was Kim, and Bailey knew they knew each other.
Quinn sat and joined them, and Bailey was glad Colin had such a great group of supporting friends willing to talk through this with him.

AngelFyre was completely set to focus on Colin's reply when all of a sudden a girl she had seen often with Colin but did not know, came upon them, 'loaded for bear' as her Grandma Ruth would say. AngelFyre found the moment rather amusing and endearing at the same time. It was a testament to who Colin was to his friends that they would be willing to go to battle on his behalf, no questions asked or information needed.

Before she or Bailey could say a word, not that AngelFyre was going to speak out in that moment anyway, Colin took matters in hand and placated the raging beast inside with a mere two sentences. AngelFyre looked down, finding the moment quite humorous, but she did not want anyone to see her reaction and think her disrespectful or mocking in any way, because those were the furthest things from her mind. What she did learn was the girl's first name at least. Quinn. It was a start, but that could be dealt with later. Colin was now explaining to Quinn what they were all talking about. Then he went even further and admitted his love for her, but also his fear in expressing it to Jarael.

Bailey got up and gave him a hug, and you could just see some of his anxiety melt in the moment of affection. Her words spoke nothing but truth, AngelFyre had to agree. Clearing her throat, she spoke up as well. "Bailey has it exactly right, Colin. Remember the quote I mentioned earlier? I told you then to be brave and I reiterate that advice now. Be brave, my friend. There is not a female worth her salt who would not find it flattering to learn that someone loves them, especially someone as wonderful as you. Based on the little I have seen, I am pretty certain there are feelings on her side for you. I cannot say how strong or to what degree those feelings resonate within her, but they ARE there."

Smiling warmly and affectionately at him, Bailey still at his side on the grass, AngelFyre continued, "Believe this because it is true from my heart to yours. Even if she does not feel for you what you feel for her now does not mean that such things cannot develop in time. There is no guarantee of that, but it is entirely possible. The mistake you could make in such a scenario would be to push her. That would result in the exact opposite of what you would like to see happen and would most likely confirm your worst fear here. The one thing you can take great hope in, as Bailey already said, is that you will not lose her as a friend simply because you tell her you love her."

Seeing he was taking an awful lot in and was engrossed in his thoughts for the moment, AngelFyre looked over to Quinn and smiled. "Hi. I do not think we have met. I am AF, well my name is AngelFyre McCubbin, but almost everyone calls me AF. Nice to meet you."

Colin smiled when Bailey knelt down to hug him. He realised just how blessed he was to have such good friends. Not just friends who were good to hang out with or to stir up trouble with. It was hard to fathom, but he felt loved by each of them. Differently and in their own ways, but it seemed to him a true kind of love. They each expressed, either in what they said to him or in how they acted towards him, the very things he needed to know.

Quinn didn't have to say anything. She only had to stick up for him and he knew that was as good as saying he'd need to be brave. It wasn't enough to just like someone and talk about it. Action was required!

Bailey knew Jarael and also encouraged Colin towards action. More than that, she showed him compassion with her presence and her hugs. He knew she was a very loving girl. She always radiated sunshine and he always felt a soothing, calming presence around her. It wasn't enough to act. Tempered action was required! He knew he'd have to overcome that strange hesitancy he found within himself and do this thing. He'd have to do it tenderly towards his Jarael.

Fyre Angel! He looked deeply into her eyes as she spoke. He was certain that there was no one else among the students of Hogwarts was her equal in wisdom. He knew she had a gift. He had thought about many times since they'd met. He really wanted to talk to her about it, but the time never seemed right.

Angel Fyre turned the key in the door that had seemed closed to Colin, and his jaw dropped and his eyes widened as she talked. He got up onto his knees to hear better. She counseled bravery as well. She also counseled tenderness. But more, she counseled him not to push.

And with an abrupt suddenness, Fyre Angel turned and introduced herself to Quinn. Colin fell back onto the stones of the Courtyard as if stunned. He blinked his eyes as if they'd just been opened the first time. "FYREANGEL!! Were you in the library the other day? Did you h---? No, no. You couldn't have..." Colin looked intently from Bailey to Quinn then back to FyreAngel. "What you said just now! That's exactly what Sophia said!"

Colin stood up and paced back and forth in front of the three girls. "Not to push --- to allow Jarael to make this decision. All of you --- Quinn, Bails, Soph, Hunter, Gem --- you've all said the same things. I should just tell her how I feel, in my heart, but not to force her. If she wishes, she'll accept me. It's a lot to think about! I just get all excited and happy around her! And sometimes I get --- you know --- a little, um, trancey? But I need to tame that excitement --- a bit!" He said the last bit with a bitter laugh. Taming himself would be the hardest task ever! "It's just I don't really t want to be tamed at all. Or maybe I'm thinking about it wrong?"

Colin stopped in front of AngelFyre and took her hands into his. He said: "You opened the door, friend. Like sticking a key in the lock! You let me see everything at once. Most importantly, that I --- don't have to do this right now! There will be the right time, and I can't force her to court with me if she's not ready. So I'll tell her what I feel about her --- I'll always do that! But I'll also accept whatever her choice is and whenever she wants to tell me."

Colin hugged her fiercely! And then Bailey and Quinn. He let out a huge breath as he let Quinn go. He sat down between them on the bench and leaned back onto his hand. He swung his bare legs and feet back and forth. "It's weird how things change, right. The first time I sat here on this bench --- only back in September! --- I could swing my feet under the bench easily without touching the ground. But now! My feet almost scraped the ground!"

He closed his eyes, just revelling in being with his friends. He wondered at what other changes would happen next, and how they'd all get through them, and why things just couldn't stay this way.

@Jarael Morningstar || @Quinn Root | @Bailey Glade | @AngelFyre McCubbin