The Faculty - Written for FFFC

[prisca]

Title: Motivation needed
Characters: Casey Connor, Zeke Tyler
Prompts: motivation (regular challenge), Monday (Special 100)
Word Count: 418
Finished: 12.08.2020

:::

Zeke stopped beside Casey, eying the boy curiously. „Hey, what's wrong? It's a beautiful Monday morning, and you make a face as long as a fiddle.“

„Oh, get off my back,“ Casey snapped, slamming his locker door shut. "I'm so not in the mood for your shit.“

„I see. What's happened?“

„My life is ruined, that's happened.“ Suddenly tears were sparkling in his eyes, telling Zeke that it had to be something serious. Casey could turn into a drama queen now and then, but he was not as weak as most people thought. He knew to fight for what he wanted.

„Hey, take a breath, okay? I'm sure it's not as bad as it looks like.“ Zeke put his arm around Casey's shoulder. „You will find a way out of it like you always do.“

„On Friday, I got the rejection letter of the New York Institute of Photography.“ Casey sighed deeply. „I know, this is not the end of the world; I can still go to Ohio States, study architecture. My mom will be happy about it when I decide to do so. And one day, I could take over the office if my dad.“

„Your mom is a mother hen. More important is what you want to do with your future.“

Casey shrugged. „Probably it was just a pipedream to think that one day can achieve something great. I'm taking photos for a school magazine, not National Geographics. Guess it's time to grow up.“

„No shit.“ Zeke pulled the face. „Since when you are giving up so quickly?“

„The NYIP is one of the best photo schools, and obviously they think I am not talented enough.“

„Hm. I will go to City College after graduation because I got rejection letters from MIT and Columbia. Doesn't mean, though, that I don't have a brilliant mind.“

Surprised, Casey stared at him. „You will go to college?“

„Well, what do you think?“ Zeke laughed. „That I will turn into Herrington's biggest dealer?

I always knew what I want to do with my life, and you knew, too. NYIP is not the only photo school, so there is no reason to give up. And one day, you will prove everyone wrong who tries to tell you that you are not talented enough.“

Casey kept quiet for a while, but finally, a broad smile appeared on his face. „Good,“ Zeke said,“ that's your Monday morning face I want to see.“

The Faculty - Written for FFFC

[prisca]

Title: Much too hairy
Characters: Casey Connor, Zeke Tyler
Prompts: hairy
Word Count: 369
Finished: 13.08.2020

:::

Zeke eyed his friend up and down, finally pulling his face into a smirk. Casey stepped closer, put his backpack down onto the ground, and pulled him into a hearty hug. „Zeke, so great that you managed it to met me at the airport.“

„You have changed.“

„Hmmm? Well, I'm a college boy now. Was about time to get rid of checkered shirts and much too wide jeans, don't you think so?“

Zeke had to agree; the tee with the Albert Einstein printing seemed to be perfect for Columbia. The black denim, the hair cut and styled a bit. He looked grown up and much more self-confident and happy than ever before. The beard, though, which covered half of his face... „Pretty hairy,“ Zeke finally murmured, still not sure if he did like all these changes. Just too obvious that Casey had started to leave his old life behind.

„Oh, this.“ Casey laughed out loud. „It's only a bet; I will have to live with it until the end of summer.“

„I'm sure your mom will love it.“

„Hm, she is so happy to have me back home for some weeks that she will hopefully not take any notice of it.“

„If you say so. Okay, let's go then, we shouldn't let her keep waiting for longer.“

„She won't.“ Casey grabbed for his backpack.“ To be honest, I told her that I'd take the next flight. Because I hoped we could make a stop at Annie's milkbar on the way back home.“

„Annie,“ Zeke repeated, surprised.

„Yeah. Columbia is great, and I've made some good friends. But I do miss hanging around with you at Annie's. Hope we can do this more often during the next weeks.“ Casey smacked his lips. „Her hazelnut glazed donuts and the vanilla milkshake with extra cream … mmmh. You can find nothing like this in New York.“

His blue eyes sparkled, and suddenly Zeke couldn't hold back a wide grin any longer. Also turning into a college boy, new clothes, and a ridiculous beard couldn't change Casey; deep inside, he still was the good old geek of Herrington High. And his best friend.

Jeremiah (TV) - written for FFFC and Creative Challenges

[prisca]

Title: Saving a life
Characters: Mr. Smith, Erin, Markus
Prompts: pain (FFFC), burns (Creative Challenges)
Word Count: 330
Finished: 13.08.2020

:::

„How is he doing,“ Markus asked, stepping into the hospital's room.

Erin looked up. „The burns are not life-threatening, but painful. And he's still unconscious. The doc says he will need at least some weeks to recover completely.“

„I just don't get why he put himself into this danger." Slightly annoyed, Markus shook his head. As the leader of the Mountain, he felt responsible for everyone who was living here, and even if he knew that any kind of danger was waiting outside every day anew, this felt so senseless. "The house was fully ablaze, but we knew that no one was inside anymore.“

„Cat mom.“ The voice was low and hard to understand. „Never would have left the house… without her kittens. Save them.“

While Markus frowned, Erin turned back to the bed, smiling with relief. "Smith! Good, you are back.“

The little guy struggled to sit up, but she put a hand onto his shoulder to stop him. „No! You will have to leave it to others to save the world for a while.“

„Can't! Cat... where...“

„Don't worry, the little family is okay. Michelle takes care of them."

„Michelle.“ Smith tried a weak smile. „That's good. She...“ But a wave of pain, rushing through his body, stopped him. „Arg. Hurts," he gasped, cringing visibly.

Erin looked at him full of pity. „Just a moment. I will get the doc; he can give you some painkiller to make it more bearable.“

Markus followed her when she left the small room. „I always knew that he is strange,“ he said. "But now he must have lost his mind completely, risking his life for some cats."

Erin kept quiet for a while before she answered. „We all are fighting with our demons differently. Almost everyone in the Mountain, even you, has already risked his life senselessly because it seemed to be necessary for him. Smith only does what he has to do to survive. Like we all do.“