[ youngest son ; maple & shades & losers ]

[shades]

THE LAST SKYES SON IS GROWN UP.

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

Being the youngest in the family was always difficult, for one you always get babied at every point in life. Independence was hard to achieve, siblings tend to be a bother, and parents were always doting and pinching cheeks. After three years of life and being diagnosed with autism, it became even more difficult.

He was socially inept, peers and elders called him dumb, he was expected to amount to nothing because of his disability he couldn’t control. His brain was wired differently than all the other kids, his parents, grandparents, sister; most everyone around him functioned differently to each other, some ate breakfast some didn’t eat lunch, some disliked pink, but James Skyes was bound by different laws of the brain function and the universe.

When he was just learning to walk, James did what was known as ‘toe-walking’ and underwent ankle-foot orthosis and even Botox therapy. He didn’t begin speaking until he was seven, and underwent speech therapy for two years to get rid of that slur of words.

Over the years the Skyes family got used to his repetitive behavior, the way he grew up with a naturally thin and small frame, how James insisted on blue and cool colors, having an aversion to wearing red and warm colors. They got used to how it was always toast and oatmeal in the morning on school days (when he ate), but if it was a weekend and the family wanted to have a nice breakfast he wouldn’t complain too much. How the news channel had to be on when he woke up or he would turn it on, and every instrument he owned had to be tuned and played.

James Skyes was different, he was monotonous, things weren’t easy for him but eventually it all fell into place. He has his good days, and his bad days; his family has seen his ups and downs. And like his father, James was increasingly good at hiding things he didn’t want them to see.

But one thing most people knew was James had a hobby, a musical outlook on things. Like most kids with autism, he had restricted behavior. It was always being quiet, soft-spoken—he never talked in school and when he spoke at home it was in a few words and single sentences.

James was content being the odd and quiet kid in class who took all the applied mathematics, was in adequate English, barely passing science, and hated social studies. The boy who was in all the music classes, band, orchestra—no chorus though for obvious reasons—and played many instruments. He went to the special classes, did all his tests with a teacher reading out all the questions, sometimes he would just hide in the singular classroom all day.

Him being content and the rest of the world being content were two different things. Constantly he was bullied by the elder boys and his peers. Girls scrunched their noses and told him he couldn't sit there, tell him they didn’t want his dumb to rub off. Boys constantly shoved him around, and when his blue-gray gaze fell over them it was a glare and maybe one would call him a freak out loud. They were all thinking it. James was convinced the world thought he was a freak, even if his grandparents, mom and dad, and sister didn’t say it. They thought it.

And sometimes James thought it too.

This morning was like every morning, the news was slowly explaining the weather in the Virginia region; James sitting alone at the kitchen table ten minutes before he was supposed to be up. His spoon slopped around the oatmeal he had made, the sound of plup plup plup as the spoon tipped over with the food falling out in dripping globs. His palm sported his cheek as he dully watched the oatmeal in a dim light, so as not to wake his parents before their designated time.

Today was not a good day. Yesterday he had failed a test in English, and the school jocks had shoved him around before school and he was now sporting a bruise on his arm. Thankfully James was able to cover it up with the tug of his sleeves, but he didn’t leave the room that day. Now he was attempting to avoid his parents by going to school forty minutes earlier than his designated time, and hoping to hide in a bathroom or classroom, or sneak in with the crowd.

Hearing the squeak of the door to their bedrooms and light footfalls, James had already grabbed his skateboard and was out the door; skipping three meals in two days.

Getting to school was the easy part, getting through it was always the toughest thing in his life.

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    Belle was second oldest in her family of five, if you don't count her Aunt Merida, then it's six and things just get complicated from there out. You could say she was the 'star' child - her talent steers most of her life and distracts her from the reality of life. When Belle was six, her mother died from Breast cancer and left their father as a widow with four kids to take care of. It was hard work and in fact, got so difficult to manage that Bruce Dupree had to ask his deceased wife's sister, Merida, to become a full time nanny for his children while he worked. Belle doesn't remember her mother all that well, just that she was beautiful and Belle has her long flowing dark hair and square face - which included high cheek bones and rosy cheeks. Belle has three siblings, first born and infamous line-backer Matthew (Matty) Dupree, who is a year older than her and well known around their high school. Then there is Madelyn, fourteen, and Autumn who is twelve - both younger than Belle and full of attitude. Belle herself is seventeen, a junior in high school, and also pretty well known around East High. You don't go to the school and not know of the Dupree family - they are kind of legendary, as some people may call them. 

   Belle grew up focusing on ballet - her only escape and passion that if she didn't have, maybe could've been a completely different person. Her mother taught her as a little girl and then when she passed on, so did Belle - towards lessons. She's preformed in numerous recitals, plays, and competitions; winning most of them due to her gallant pirouettes and deep essence while doing her dances. Her biggest dream is to become a Julliard student and live out her life as a professional ballet dancer moving all across the country doing what she loves. But first, she has to get through high school. 

    Being a Dupree, the minute Belle entered school she was whisked up by the popular crowd and became one of them easily. But one thing she didn't conform to was their harsh, rude ways or their bad drinking/partying habits. In order to be the best dancer and the best person she can be, Belle prides herself in her kindness and sweet demeanor. She is known around the school for being kind and friendly, never turning anyone down for being different than her or in a different clique. Most people just flock her because she practically radiates off love without even realizing it, and that's why she stayed as popular as she did. And she really enjoys making people happy and helping others in general. 

    One thing special about Belle is that she is very intellectual and deep. Those two emotions really come out when she dances, but also when she just walks through the halls and lives in the world. She sees past all the stereotypes and faces of the universe and goes beyond that in order to see the beauty in the simplest things. Her favorite flowers are roses, and she loves to read books. Those two beautiful things are just some of the examples of how passionate Belle is about learning new things or meeting new people. She may seem quiet, when in reality she is just calm and smart - thinking things through before saying them and being watchful of others. She's one sweet heart of a charm, that's for sure. 

    On a day like today, any normal day, Belle had gotten up early to practice in her household's inside training room. Yes, I forgot to mention that 'work' her Daddy does is for a big corporation based in LA that owns most of the grocery chain stores in all of America - so this family is definitely loaded with the change. But that never affected Belle's personality whatsoever; she just stuck to hr dancing and little else in the world. Because when Belle actually got serious about something, it brought up way too many sad reminders/realities of her life that she couldn't handle and had to bottle away in order to survive. 

    Now that practice was over, though, she needed to get showered and dressed for the day and catch a ride with her brother Matty before he left for early football practice and left her to ride with her Aunt Merida who was a strange woman and sometimes made Belle's mornings a bit stressful than they needed to be. Then, once she got to school, she'd find the training room within the school and practice her dance there. A big showcase was coming up and she had to be seriously in shape and memorized if she was going to place for state and get the scholarship and 'letter of recommendation' sent to Juilliard she'd been planning on winning for two years. So practicing three times a day didn't seem all that bad to her when she could be getting into her dream college by doing so. 

    After getting dressed in a light sweater and jeans, slinging her dancing duffel bag and backpack over her shoulder, she made into Matty's car before they began to drive to school with a bit of Eminem blasting through his sub woofers in the back of his sleek, muscular truck he'd gotten for his last birthday. Belle just gazed quietly out the window, her permeant content smile playing on her lips as half awake Matty jammed out and turned his car onto the main road. There wasn't much talking involved in the mornings because of how quiet Belle was (and the fact she was thinking of dance most of her idle time) and Matty liked to listen to music to get him pumped up. They always got to school earlier than most, and Belle was okay with this because it just gave her more time to dance before her first period. 

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

To him every sound was music, every step he took was the beat, and everything else the rhythm. Bringing it together was life’s orchestra, and even James couldn’t change it but add onto the music with his own solo.

His mind was out of tune, but at least James could make music with it still.

Some would wonder why people picked on James for his disabilities. He was handsome, to say the least, in his black all-star converse, jeans, black long-sleeved shirt, and short blue plaid un-buttoned and over it. His hair was done up like his father’s was when the older man was a teenager, and that was always how he looked. Tall at 6’, gangly with a small frame and bones, his eyes were a crystal blue with dull gray undertones from the naturally sad expression he carried.

No matter, the jock-ish and snobbish brutes always had his way. Which was why James tended to avoid large crowds and hide in the music room during lunch. His stomach hit its peak and the young man had packed a PB & J which sat on the piano James sat at.

He was making music, or playing it at least. The tune carrying throughout the room, the piano was one of James’ favorite instrument. It was soothing, peaceful, and able to be upbeat as his fingers would press multiple keys at a time. However, this tune was none of that and carried a poetic wave through the air.

Blue eyes would stare blankly at the Beginner’s Guide to Piano, but James was no beginner to music. His finger pressed hard against some keys and skimmed over others, sometimes he would make leaps and bounds with his hands to one end of the 80 keys to the others. His feet were at work under the piano with the pedals, fluctuating and creating a melody soft and loud with sorrow at the same time.

If he had his brain in check, James would be crying. But instead his look of thoughtful sadness occupied itself, a light frown on his pink lips as he continued the song without stopping or pausing. Not knowing he wasn’t alone in the room, or anyone would dare come in with the ‘freak’ autistic boy who the jocks would shove around. Just today before school he had been slammed into the wall roughly, James catching himself barely.

Really, besides the fact he knew his family would be there for him. James Skyes had music to support him through this life, the loveless starvation, and he enjoyed working with the world to make his better. With an out-of-tune mind, and an in-tune instrument, James was content.

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    Belle had moved throughout the day in a sort of rigid and creaky movement; she really needed to loosen up. So by the time lunch rolled around, Belle was clipping her way happily down the school hallways towards the music/training room. The room expanded into a large arch, one side filled with instruments and choir bleachers, while the other side side was lined with mirrors and practicing beams for dancers. It was familiar to her now that she'd upped her practicing hours, but this was the first time she'd come in during lunch. 

    By the time she swung open the large doors leading into the right side of the arch, she had popped in both her ear plugs and put on some hip hop, pump up dance music. Her stop to the bathroom had been short when she'd changed into her tight fitted red dress with flowing skirt reaching her mid thighs. Her hair was down, not one of those dancers liking it closely bunned to her head. It flowed down her back in dark beach waves, so long that it just brushed the beginning of her lower back along her spine. Gazing into the mirror while the music hummed through her and she tossed her bag to the side, she began her stretches on the practicing beam and at her reflection there. She was pretty, or so she'd been told before - sporting icey blue green eyes and long dark eyelashes. Her skin was tanner than usual, being half latino and half white. Her mother had once been the prettiest lady in all of town, or so she'd heard fro her father who claimed he had been 'the luckiest man on the planet to get to keep her when every guy wanted her'. He also told Belle that she looked a lot like her passed on mother, which he got teary eyed over most the times and Belle had to walk away before things got serious. Belle couldn't do reality. 

    After stretching her legs and slipping on her skin colored dance shoes, Belle flipped the song on her iPod, the one of her dance routine, and slipped the MP3 onto her arm sling she'd bought in order to keep the buds in while she twirled. Not once as she began her routine did she notice the boy on the other side of the arched room, playing the piano; too engrossed in her own work and form.

    Her head lolled over her shoulders as she twirled up from her starting position on the floor. The style of ballet she did was more interpretive dancing than actual ballet, that was why she wore dance shoes rather than ballet slippers. She had a pair of those as well, but she didn't like to wear them while practicing. And they didn't really fit with this type of dance, anyways. 

    While the violins played in the background, Belle's eyes closed as she let the music over take her body and lead it into each step of her routine by memory - pointed toes slipping over the ground gracefully, twirling her arms and body in quick but beautiful spins - three steps to the left and a pirouette then landed into another swirl of her body and loll of her head. The world was nothing when she slipped into her dance mode, everything else didn't matter while she was in her own mind, twirling deeply within it to the limbo beyond her thoughts and the peacefulness it brought with it. 

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

Halfway through his own song did James notice the girl dancing; her presence throwing him off he nearly had to stop the song. This wasn’t his routine, or even in his mind; someone else in a room he had to himself on most days when James wanted to be alone. His fingers continued to drum on the piano, blue eyes blinking and his gaze drifting over her style and form.

Elegant.

But her mind was not in his music, the rhythm to his piano was off from her own swaying; she was lost in her own world of music and routine while he was unsure how to fix his own. There she was, dancing, and it was tempting to stop and hide but to James a song must always be completed.

So he continued to where her song ended and his continued, mind unsure if he was just repeating the chorus in a pattern or if it really was that long. But the music drifted through his ears, and finally James Skyes decided she was not a threat to him and his blue eyes drifted shut in a lull. Finally the music was coming to a slowing stop, blue eyes opening once again to watch his fingers dance across the darkness and whiteness, and the melody to fill the otherwise silent room and his normally silent brain.

After the sorrowing song, James felt at peace and grace; hands slipping to between his legs as he rocked back and forth in the seat, unsure what to do next.

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    Belle's hands flowed along with her steps, moving in and out and wrapping around her until the song came to a lovely end, ending her routine in a crouched position with her arms slung around her, eyes still closed. She stayed like that for a while before her blue-green iris's flashed open and landed on the boy on the other side of the room she hadn't noticed at all. 

    Not too ashamed of him seeing her dancing, she felt more worried that she'd interrupted his piano playing. His back was to her slightly but she could make out his face some what in the reflection of the many mirrors that lined the walls. Standing up gracefully, only a little bit of sweat making the small hair near her forehead sticky, Belle pulled out her ear buds and smiled kindly. "Sorry, I didn't know you were in here. Did I interrupt your playing?" she asked, her tone light and genuinely sweet, coming off her tongue easily. She was never really nervous around other people, and she thought maybe that was how she preformed so well on stage. Stage freight didn't bother her because she didn't care what others thought of her and didn't care much for their opinions. The only opinions she'd be needed were the people from Juilliard who needed to accept her in order for her plans to succeed, but that was in the far future and so she didn't need to stress.

    Belle didn't really stress anyways, so that wouldn't be a problem. 

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

In his world, James was alone among his peers and those around him for seventeen years. Even when he was younger, and then there were those older he could trust. They all told him derogatory statements, and showed no pity for the boy in his wrong mind.

His fingers fiddled with the bracelet on his wrist, one which stated his name, age, and disability. His parents got it for him one time after James got lost and had a mental breakdown in the mall and nobody but security and a kind doctor helped him. Terrified blue eyes flashed over the dark-haired beauty, registering her words slowly and picking out those which would make him feel horrible, worst then he always felt about himself.

Though his body kicked into action, tripping as he tried to scramble away; the routine broken, his song going in a different order or someone changed the track. Mentally, he couldn’t handle it despite her words genuine and not anything of the rude nature he was used too.

James clumsily fell onto the ground, with a mumbled “oof!” popping back onto his knees hastily—his cheeks tinted a pink. Looking down at the ground, there was an inaudible whisper of “sorry” that escaped James lips as he avoided any sort of contact with the girl. He was shy, spoke only one words or never where most just assumed he was mute. There was no fighting back, after seventeen years of being dominated by society.

The autistic young man was submissive. Just taking anything with a flinch, even as she would touch him or help him up, there would always be a wince of what could be a beating. That was routine, this was not. This was a surprise, something his mind would never have expected to happen.

Ever.

Someone who thought he was beautiful.

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    Belle's small smile turned into a simple frown, tip toeing carefully over the wooden, sleek floor towards the boy who had fallen. Her eyes scanned over him thoughtfully, worried he'd hurt himself. Her delicate, soft hands reached down towards his back as if to comfort him. "Are you okay?" she asked genuinely, her iris's glazed with caring for anyone but herself, making sure others were happy before her own needs and wanting to be a help to the world in general. 

    When she watched him, she noticed his nervous like habits and his handsome face. She didn't recognize him, which was odd because Belle knew almost every one at East High (or more like, they knew her) and so now she was really intrigued to learn his name and about him. The tips of her fingers pressed to his back friendly like, holding out her hand to help him to his feet, eyes still wide with fascination. Sometimes Belle's curiosity got the better of her. 

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

Everything that led up to this point was falling apart as someone seemed to want to help him; it took every nerve of James for his thought process to not shut down and him have a mental breakdown at how confused and utterly shocked he was. Blue eyes merely met hers, the kicked puppy look his mother would often describe when James begged for a new instrument by shoving the catalog and looking came out.

He didn’t speak, merely taking her hand as the light jingle of his wrist bracelet made him aware who he was, where he was, and why he hated school; but never had the guts to want to be homeschooled and alone, away from the only piano he had access too.

Suddenly, his arm was jerking back and there was a gap between him and the girl. His gaze, curious but there was the hurt from many years of trifles and living as a kid who would never gain independence. Who spent days in a hospital crying for his mother and father when his autism hit a peak in severity; leaving his parents to wonder if their son could ever go home or gain a mental state of peace.

Blinking it away, James showed no outward signs of answering her questions; his fingers curling, and his foot tapping lightly to make the music that must be ever present.

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    Belle frowned slightly when he jerked away from her, thinking she'd done something wrong. "I'm sorry," she stated out though nothing apparent seemed to be of her doing. "I didn't mean to startle you," she tilted her head a bit, bringing her out reached hands to her side and studying the boy. He was in fact handsome, but closed off. Just by looking at his face, she knew he held many secrets and sorrows. It made her heart kind of flutter in sadness when she saw his eyes, so hollowed and and broken. Belle had an eye for these kinds of things, really. 

    She should've just let him be like any other day, but curiosity was her strong expression today, apparently. "Are you sure you're alright?" she asked, eyes glancing down at his knees which must've been bruised from his fall. "I can help you get to the nurses office if not," she smiled kindly, holding her ear buds in one hand and running her hand over her skirt with the other. 

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

This was not a part of his life, this was alien, and to James out-of-this-world things frighten him; leaving the young man to shake his head vigorously. Because of him having autism, his bones and ligaments were thin, weak, and he broke many bones just falling off his skateboard or bike. Blue eyes flashed over her, blinking.

Then there was curiosity that came with strange things, James Skyes was always interested but most times he quickly shoved it back to the far corners of his mind. Keeping silent, he played with the bracelet. Like most people, he didn’t talk to them; but when in a generous mood he would hand his silver pendant bracelet so they knew who he was and what his problem was.

“What’s your problem, freak?” People would ask over and over in the crowds of his mind, leaving James to cover his ears in the darkness of the night and want to cry out for them to shut up. It wasn’t his fault he couldn’t do things specifically or think like them.

Unclipping the bracelet, James handed it to the strange girl quietly; shyly. Her noticeable posture and kind words that took forever to process in his brain at least led the boy to trust her enough with his identity. But then they all just walk away with a “oh,” like James Skyes wasn’t worth their time to get to know and figure out how he thinks.

Before she could say anything, he turned to pick up his sandwich; sliding to the floor as he opened the bag and four pieces fell out. They were arranged into a sandwich on the baggie, taking one piece and nibbling on it quietly. Eyes not looking up at the girl for a long time, thinking her soft footfalls would disappear and the door would close behind her.

But it didn’t, and that threw off his groove even more when he finally looked up to her still being there. His routine being thrown off even more; but James blinked it away in hopes maybe. Just maybe, this would be normal and he would seem normal. His mind would make music like hers, in a fast-paced dancing melody, and not the slow drawl it usually acted or the fast tempo of his heart when angry or anxious.

A tune everyone would love, he wanted his brain just like hers.

[Maple ♥]

Belle Dupree:

    Belle's gentle fingers tightened around the bracelet he gave her. It was like a small dog tag, reading his name, James Skyes. His age, 17 (?), and below were the words Autistic Disorder below those. It only took Belle's brain a few seconds to realize what that meant, and her eyebrows furrowed a little. She'd never been really informed about Autism before, and had never met any body with the disorder. Belle didn't like the word disorder, especially. She also didn't like the words doctor, hospital, sickness, or disease. Because they reminded her that her mother was gone because of them, and she hated that thought. 

    The blue-green of her eyes settled back on him as he nibbled his sandwich and tapped his foot, her head turning slightly as she studied him. James looked normal, and was handsome enough to be normal. What kind of things within him were so different that they were considered wrong to everyone else in the real world? What was beyond his brain, and why did she want to know his thoughts?

    Why? Because she had a deep rooted feeling that they must be beautiful. So what really was the definition of 'normal'. Why were others and things and creatures considered different? When really all they were was just special. Not retarded or stupid or any other harsh words. As Belle thought over these things, she realized she wanted to know. She wanted to know him, James Skyes. To get past the walls of his mind and see what he really felt and dealt with every day. She was curious to see what beautiful things he could come up with, like she could when she danced. 

    Handing back his tags nicely, she smiled at him. "I hope you don't let a bracelet define you, James," her fingers brushed his as she placed the jingling material there and drew it back. Her hand was ran through her curls she added, "I'm Belle Dupree. It's nice to meet you."

[Maple ♥]

[shades]

James Skyes ; ;

Eyes shot up, red cheeks tinting as her skin brushed his gently—it wasn’t hard like the bullies, nor was it parental—it was another distant feeling James had never felt all seventeen years of his life. Looking up at her, head tilting as he watched the girl curiously. No, Belle; like Beauty and the Beast, the girl who always had her nose in a book.

James blinked once and twice, then he reached over and offered her a square of his sandwich; a sign of trust which would be horrible if it was lost. Blue-gray eyes looking innocent as he sat there, glancing at the ground across from him. His mind was moving in a small tune, trying to synchronize brain waves with Belle Dupree and every other person in the world.

His mouth formed in the shape of unspoken words, talking silently as his brain formed thoughts; trying to express himself externally. But his foot tapped into a beat of his own language, one two three four. One two three four. Another bite of his sandwich and first meal in two days.

Looking her over, he of course noticed her beauty and was relating it to Beauty and the Beast again. Except he wasn’t a beast, well he might be to others, but James would never be her beast.

Because James was ugly in his mind, and that was the worst of all.