The X-Project

Alex is taking out some of the excitement of his father's impending arrival on the mansion ramps and he gets a small red observer



Alex didn't venture over the mansion much lately, usually just coming over to see a few people and train with his brother. Usually when he needed his skateboarding fix, he went out to the public ramps to hang out with his friends there. But today, he had so much pent up excitement that he preferred the ramps he'd built himself on the mansion grounds so he could do as many fancy moves and radical turns that he wanted. He was going to see his dad tomorrow. His Dad! How cool was that?

On her way for a walk in the woods after class, Yvette paused in wonder as she watched the boy on the skateboard. The way he was practically soaring on some of the jumps, the way he twisted and turned to control the board... she was spellbound. Without realising it, she had drawn closer, to the base of the ramps, watching him with neon blue eyes that glowed even in the sunlight.

Catching a flash of red in the corner of his eyes, Alex jumped the railing on the top of one of the ramps and stopped, grinning brightly despite the fact he was breathing hard. "Hey there! Didn't know I had an audience!" He called down cheerfully.

"Oh!" Caught openly staring, Yvette's eyes glowed even brighter for a moment and she ducked her head shyly. "Hello. I was walking and I saw you and I could not help but to watch." She looked up again, admiration overcoming shyness. "You are very good, with the skateboard. You must be very brave, to jump so high, yes?"

Not wanting to keep shouting, Alex flipped the board over the fail and skated down at a more controlled pace then what he'd been doing before. He rolled over to where she stood before rolling to stop, putting one foot on the ground. "Thanks." He said brightly before giving a shrug. "It's nothing really after surfing every day for years. Still best high there is though." Then he gave her a considering look, while still grinning of course. "You're Yvette right?"

He was certainly more cheerful than most of the mansion's residents... Yvette smiled in return. Her hair, always an indication of her mood, was hanging in long, loose curls again. "Yes," she replied, a little shyly. "But I am afraid I do not know who you are. Are you the new student?" Although, he did look familiar. Perhaps on the journals somewhere?

Alex couldn't help laughing. "No, I'm not really new. I've just been kind of in and out of the mansion lately." He held out his hand to her, crouching slightly so he was more at her level. "I'm Alex, Scott's little brother. I'm the one you couldn't understand on the journals last week." He added with a playful grin.

She checked her glove and then shook the offereed hand. "Oh! It is very good to be meeting you, then, Alex," she replied. Something about him made her drop the usual 'Mr' she would have normally put at the front. "There was news, yes? That you have found your father?"

For that he was glad, as Alex was not the formal sort. Growing up in a laid back culture like Hawaii did that to him. When she mentioned his good news, he couldn't help beaming.

"Yep! Scott found him by accident during a mission and he's going to visit tomorrow." He was practically bouncing like a small child.

His enthusiasm was contagious. Yvette smiled wider in response to his almost-bounce. "How long has it been, since you are seeing him?" she asked, encouraging him to talk some more about his father. Again, not many people at the mansion seemed to be happy lately.

"14 years." Alex's voice was awed for a moment, as he hadn't really though about it but saying it out loud really made it hit home just how long ago it was.

"That is a very long time. It is not the wonder that you are glad to be finding him again." Fourteen years was almost as long as Yvette had been alive - she couldn't imagine how she would feel seeing... she put the rest of the thought away. She had no father. "Mr. Summers, he did not seem so happy on the journal that your father is visiting, however?"

"Uh yeah." Alex bit his lip and looked down for a moment. "Scott isn't exactly thrilled and I don't really know why." It had been puzzling him since Scott had told him, why Scott didn't seem happier. Didn't his brother want a family?

"Perhaps he is still surprised? Sometimes people are being strange when they have the unexpected thing," Yvette suggested hesitantly. She didn't know Mr. Summers so well. And she didn't like to see Alex less happy. "So, you are riding the skateboard for the long time?" she asked, trying for a happier subject.

"Maybe." Alex gave her a small smile as he recognized the tactic. He was good at it himself. "Kind of. I learned to surf first, when I lived in Hawaii the first time. And on the days the surfing was bad, my friends and I would do the next best thing." He rolled the board back and forth, under the foot that was holding it still. "Want to try?"

"Oh, I am not sure..." Yvette hesitated, but looking up at Alex's earnest expression, she summoned up her courage. "Okay? You will be showing me how?"

"Don't have to ya know. I won't be upset." Alex lifted his foot off the board and pushed it lightly towards her. "But if you want, go ahead."

"I want to. I am just, how you say? Having the wibble?" Yvette stopped the board with one long-toed foot, the way she'd seen Alex do, and looked at it curiously. "Which end is to be the front?"

Alex moved to stand beside her, flipping the board around with a deft movement of his foot and offered his hand to help her balance. "There we go, now it's right side around. Go ahead, step aboard, I'll help you keep your balance..."