Homecoming PV June Selwyn Finished

F I N N E G A Nx⳧xC O N N E R

☙ Homecoming, July 2023 ❧

He leaned against the wall beside her, relieved that the sobbing had ended. "You're' definitely stubborn," he replied with a soft snort. "And I don't know if that's such a bad thing, you just don't give up as easily as others," he shrugged before pushing himself up onto his pins. "It's OK, everyone keeps secrets now and then."

A bubble of bright laughter escaped his lips when she commented on his supposed courage. "Maybe I'm just not as smart as you, hmm? George is always going on about how I have a head full of rocks. It's probably cause I got bludgered a few times- oh, uh, don't mention that to my ma and da please, I only told them about one visit to the hospital wing."

Dusting himself off, he prepared to move back out and face the music. It wasn't hard to predict how that would go; Rose would question their digestive systems considering how long they'd been away while his parents would just welcome them back with a silent nod or two. Then, his mom would find some way to smooth things over like she always did, another one of her magical abilities that exceeded his comprehension.

But even as he accompanied June out of the storage room, her last two comments still rung in his ears. He'd acknowledged them with a curt nod and a smile, but they unnerved him more than he cared to admit. Sure, their families were different, but weren't all families different? Was there something beyond the difference in upbringing? He'd known for quite some time that June's family was a lot wealthier than his - it hadn't been hard to tell - but that wasn't what she'd meant, right? He excused himself just before rejoining the table to dash into the men's bathroom.

The boy staring back at him in the mirror looked perfectly ordinary.

Ordinary. Just ordinary. Not smart or clever or dashing. Just... exceedingly regular.

So what the hell had she meant when she'd said she could learn from him. Learn to be boring? Maybe learn how to pick out the best clothes at the thrift store? He leaned over the faucet and stared straight into his own eyes before shaking his head. "Dude..." he muttered under his breath. "She actually likes you..."

He blushed then, suddenly all too aware he'd been talking to himself in the mirror. Like a startled deer he whipped around to check there was no one watching.

Nothing.

Thank god.

---

After he'd splashed some water in his face and washed his hands, he returned to their table and sat back down next to June, trying to keep a neutral face.

"Did you poop well?" Rose piped up. Half of her head was hidden behind a very large desert that she'd been bribed with. "Look, I got us ice-cream!"

The deadpan delivery made him wheeze and double over, tears now sprung to his eyes. "Rose! Rose, you can't-! You can't say stuff like that in front of everyone!"

So much for keeping a straight face. At least the gloomy mood was gone.

Stamina 10 ✶ Evasion 10 ✶ Strength 2 ✶ Wisdom 3 ✶ Arcane Power 5 ✶ Accuracy 10