Dare to Be[Benji]

[cassy]

Let's get one thing straight: Coco loved the roof. She loved all things high up, really...She didn't know whether it was because you could usually find some kind of liquid in the altitude that she could manipulate or what, but whatever it was it was fun. But today she was up on the roof for a different reason.

Ok, well, two reasons.

One, because she was trying to grab a few minutes alone to study for her Hero History quiz, and two because she just felt the need to be in the open for a while. She loved school, which was odd enough already, but she didn't like being cooped up. Now, what was so cooped up, you might ask, about going to school that floats in the sky? Well...you're not always outside, are you? And believe me, when you're sitting in a classroom with 15 other kids listening to a dull voice explaining something you could care less about, you get a little claustrophobic.

To be honest, though, Coco wasn't much of a studier. So, instead of takign notes down in her notebook, after the first few minutes she'd taken to doodling all over the pages. No harm in a little creative expression, right? Especially not if it's expressing your love to a certain sully someone...

[BENJI FLYNN]

Benji ran as fast as he could down the corridor, dodging the other students as a rather loud voice echoed over the school. "Benjamin Flynn! Get. Out. Of. My. School!"

He looked back and swore at the stern woman marching around the corner. Skidding around another corner he saw a door. He pushed through and found stairs up to the roof. Slipping carefully through the door he noticed a rather stunning young lady sitting down...studying? Well, that wasn't a good start.

Benji had never spend a moment studying, ever. He had left school at 13 and joined the circus. He had never looked at a text book since then and he didn't plan to. He had arrived in Maxville a few weeks ago and the circus was on it's last legs before it moved on. But he had increasingly been trying to find a reason to stay. Maybe this girl could be it?

He shut the door slowly behind him and moved to sit next to her, peering over her petite shoulder to see what she was actually reading. He could smell her hair as he tried to figure out what the book was about. Unfortunately, Benji wasn't the best reader in the world and couldn't grasp the key words. So, of course, he was none the wiser for sitting next to her. Well, he could always ask...

"That looks fun," he said, smiling cheekily as he leant back again, pulling his phone out of his pocket. No messages and no sign of Principle Powers either. Fantastic.

[cassy]

Coco jumped a bit at the intrusion of her thoughts and looked at the person intruding. Giving him a smile, she said, "I wish it were." She closed the notebook nonchalantly and said, "I just can't get into it, though." Tucking her hair behind her ear, she looked down. The wind was comforting her slightly warm cheeks.

Coughing a little awkwardly, she said, "So, what brings you up here?" Yes, Coco, change the subject...that'll impress him. He was close enough to make her cheeks pink, but she hoped he wouldn't see that. It was bad enough that she felt the need to play with the water in the air around him, which would make her look like a freak...Maybe she should just stop thinking. Or start. You see what happened?

[BENJI FLYNN]

Benji smiled sweetly at her and crossed his legs neatly at the knees, his hands pressed onto the warm stone he was sitting on. He listened to her voice, the words almost whispering in his ears. It wasn't like anything like he had heard before. It was almost captivating. He had to internally shake his head to actually pay attention to the word.

"It's a funny story actually..." Benji began, chewing on his bottom lip, his piercing slipping between his pearl white teeth. "I...umm..." He bit down on his lip again, "I basically shape shifted into your principle and wrecked your science lab."

He smiled at her and turned his thin body around, as if they had been talking for hours. "So what's the book about? And how easy would it be to convince you to get out of here with me?"

[cassy]

"Shape-shifter, huh?" she asked, looking at him appraisingly. Well, that was interesting. At least, since apparently he could morph into things other than guinea pigs..."How exactly did you trash the lab?" she laughed, turning toward him a bit and crossing her own legs shyly.

This boy was seriously adorable, wasn't he? Like he actually cared about the book she was reading...Hell, she didn't even care about the book she was reading. Leaning towards him flirtatiously, she said, "I might be able to be swayed. Depends on what you're offering in return." She winked at him playfully and leaned back again, setting the book down.

[BENJI FLYNN]

"Well apparently when you mix thermite and water with magnesium, things explode," he said, matter of factly as his grinned cheekily. She had seemed impressed by his shape shifting ability. Though he was proud of his other power - power cancellation, the ability to stop people's powers. He didn't find it nearly as impressive as turning into something else. He looked up at her and winked. Jumping up he moved to stand on the very edge of the roof.

"How about an offer of fun?" he asked. Then he jumped, falling through the air he transformed into a giant eagle. Soaring around the grounds. He cawed and listened to the sound echo off the concrete walls. The wind felt great between his feathers and he flew round and round the building. Finally he came to a stop back on the roof. Folding his wings in neatly he transformed back into his normal human self.

"Come on, you know you'll enjoy it," he said, offering her a thin boney hand.

[cassy]

Coco laughed at the joke, but it soon turned into a gasp of horror when he jumped off the roof. You would think she'd be used to things like that by now, especially since she knows he's a shifter, but she really isn't. She jumped up, discarding her books and leaned over the edge, expecting to see a blood-spattered courtyard and an unrecognizable body down below, but all she saw was a beautiful eagle swooping around in the air.

She let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding and relaxed. Stupid guys and their impressive stunts. They were gonna give her a heart attack! When he reappeared next to her, she gave him a stern look, saying, "Only if you don't ever scare me like that again." She offered him a quick smile to show she was just playing (a little...she had a strange affliction where she couldn't go very long without joking or smiling...it was very unhelpful when she was trying to be serious, though) and took his hand.

[BENJI FLYNN]

Benji smiled and moved behind Coco, wrapping his arms around her waist, "I'm Benji by the way," he said, holding onto her and jumping. There was no way he would have been able to get out the front door as himself, and transforming into a student was no fun. This time, he transformed himself half into a bird, the wings and the talons, but he kept his head, making sure not to release his grip on the girl he'd only just met. He soared through the air, making sure to doge the clouds to prevent them both getting soaked.

Eventually he landed in an alleyway in the middle of Maxville. Right beside the mall. "Want to get a drink? Flying like that can be a little... nauseous. Don't worry, I'll pay," he offered, taking her hand and leading her out of the alley. Pulling a stray feather from his hair.

[cassy]

"Coco," she replied before they took off. She didn't know whether to feel sick, scared or amazed. She'd rode waves before (and I'm talking ride-like-a-mermaid here, now), but that was nothing compared to flying. The closest she'd ever come to this was when she'd bungee jumped at Coney Island. It very literally took her breath away, and that feeling coupled with the feeling of a bird's talons holding onto her scared her a little bit, but it was exhilarating all the same.

When they landed, Coco vaguely wondered whether they were actually going back to the school...He'd never said and she'd never asked. It wasn't like she was all too bothered about skipping, it was just that she left her things on the roof that bothered her. But questions like that could wait.

Smiling shyly at him she said, "A drink would be nice, thank you." Anything liquid-based would be nice right about now. "Do you do this often?" she asked, looking up at him inquisitively. He was getting more and more interesting by the second...

[BENJI FLYNN]

Benji bit down on his lip again, catching the piercing between his teeth, "Do what often? Flying, yes of course. Taking pretty young ladies from their monotonous lessons? Not so much. Though, if it involves ladies like you then I might try it more often," he said with a cheeky wink, moving into the crowded high street. Moving in between the people as if he belonged there. After a moment he slipped inside a cafe and directed Coco to a table.

The moment they has sat down a few of the waitresses and, even more, waiters turned and starred at them. What was a skinny tattooed boy like him doing with a girl like her? Benji smiled at them and waved one over, ordering a coffee for himself, and then waited for Coco to order for herself.

"Don't worry, we'll go back and get your things later. No one will take them. Besides, everyone else is in lessons."

[cassy]

Coco blushed a bit at his pseudo-compliment and said, "Well, this young lady wouldn't mind a bit." She followed him wordlessly through the crowded street and into the cafe, smiling the whole way. It was fun watching people give the two teens funny looks as they walked past, and it was even funnier inside the shop, because she could just stare right back at them.

She ordered a diet coke and then turned to Benji. It was almost like he'd read her mind - was she really that transparent? Sighing slightly in relief, she said, "Good." She glanced around the shop for a moment before she remembered how they'd gotten here. "So, why did you wreck the lab?" She didn't mind, of course. That just meant that she might not be having Mad Science anytime soon, and that was always alright in her book.

[BENJI FLYNN]

Benji smiled sweetly, as their drinks came over. He added two lumps of sugar to his cup and began stirring it, listening to the sound the metal teaspoon on the china cup. He bit down on his lip when she asked why he'd wrecked the lab, he didn't want her to think badly of him. "Well, I suppose I just did it because I was bored. I don't even go to Sky High. I was part of the circus, but they left and, well, I couldn't follow. I was having too much fun here," he explained, not meeting her eye, as if he was ashamed with what he had done and the lack of reasoning for it. He was a villain by nature, and he doubted, somehow that she was a villainess. She was too pretty.

[cassy]

"Oh," she said, looking down at her drink. She had to say, she was a bit disappointed...Sure, she wasn't a model student or anything (the whole sitting on the roof when she should be in class thing was proof of that), but still. She didn't believe in destruction for the hell of it. Playing with her fingers for a moment she said, "So, the circus? How did you get into that?"

As far as she knew, all he'd ever done was blow up a lab, and she couldn't think of a student who wouldn't appreciate that, so technically (and this was her reaching out on a very far limb), he hadn't committed a villainous crime. He was simply...helping students out. Yes, we'll go with that.

She couldn't, however, kick her nervous habit of what she called water jumping. Basically, if Benji looked at her glass close enough, he could see tons of drops of soda jumping up into the air and shooting back down again rapidly. It kind of looked like a soda fountain.

[BENJI FLYNN]

Benji heard the disappointment in her voice, and didn't blame her for it. But he was certainly glad when she changed the subject. The circus, well he could talk about it for hours. But he doubted she would be that interested in the ins and outs of it. Especially as it had long gone now and wouldn't be back until next year.

"I ran away from home when I was twelve. They found me and I've stayed with them ever since. Though, we got a new manager a few weeks ago and no one really likes him. He said things I didn't like, so I left. I'm glad I did though, or I would never have met you," he said, looking back at her and smiling.

He bit down on his thin lips and moved his chair over to her slightly, he played it up as if the noise in the cafe was preventing him from hearing her soft voice. "So what do you like doing? You're not a swat are you?" he chuckled, referring back to school. It was something familiar they could both talk about without her getting too nervous. Benji wasn't sure what she was like and he certainly didn't want to scare her away.

[cassy]

Coco smiled as he talked about the circus. It appeared he'd lived out many a teenager's dream of running away and joining the circus...She couldn't believe her luck, though. She caught an extremely good looking guy who could shift into anything imaginable and actually seemed to genuinely like her. Well...she was pretty sure he only came over to her because she was on the roof during class, but hey...Beggars can't be choosers, right?

She blushed slightly at his outward flirting and said, "I'm glad you did too. I've never met anyone like you before." She'd met a ton of other people that no regular non-super had met before, but Benji...well. He was something special, now wasn't he?

Laughing a little at his question, she said, "No, I'm not a swat...I think. What's a swat?" She furrowed her brow a bit. "I like to swim," she added, shrugging. "And I don't actually like studying...I was actually doodling on my notes back on the roof," she said, chuckling a little.

[BENJI FLYNN]

Benji chuckled lightly, "A swat is someone who spends all their time studying, though you were on the roof and not in class...I think I'm safe," he explained, a cheeky smile on his face. He thought for a moment as he sipped on his drink. His eyes following the waitresses and waiters as they walked.

"Swimming is good, I haven't been in a while though...not much time when you're on the move. Though, I have a swimming pool at home, I've yet to use it. Maybe you'd like to come over some time? It's nice and warm today. Lucky, I hate swimming in the cold." He realised then, he had basically invited her home with him, he bit his lip. Why had he said that? He'd never invited anyone back to his house. Sure he invited anyone and everyone back to his caravan at the circus, so why was his house any different?

He smiled and finished up his drink, calling over a rather plastic looking waitress for the bill.

[cassy]

Coco smiled at the explanation and said, "No, I'm definitely not a swat. Although, I did start out studying up there...I just bored quickly." She winked at him and finished her coke, setting the glass down on the table. That was much better. Now that she'd had liquid she was ready for the ride back to Sky High.

"Are you propositioning me?" she teased with a slight smirk on her face. So that was his game? Charming girls into coming home with him? It jut might work on Coco today, though. She hadn't been swimming since school started and she'd been dying to find an excuse to go. Her mother didn't have to know she was going to some boy's house she'd just met to go swimming. No...that could wait until they knew each other a little better.

[BENJI FLYNN]

Benji smirked, "Am I propositioning you? If I say yes will you come with me?" he asked, teasing in return. "I know you want to, no one will notice you've gone, please?" he asked, putting on his best 'puppy eyes' look and smiling sweetly. He paused momentarily to pay the bill - for both of them- and then got to his feet, extending his hand for her to take. "C'mon, last chance," he smiled, flipping some of his hair from his eyes.

[cassy]

Shaking her head at him as if she couldn't believe him, Coco took his hand and said, "Alright. I suppose missing a few periods won't hurt. Especially since, you know, I've already missed about three already." Winking at him, she stood and said, "Where do you live?" It was a good thing they were going swimming at his house...If she had to take another long-distance flight without at least being hydrated, well...it wouldn't be pretty.

Leading him outside, she bit her lip. Today had turned out awesome, despite the morning she'd had. Could it possibly get better? There was a chance. Maybe it'd rain. That would be fun. But not if the pool was outside...At least, not if it was storming and the pool was outside. Water + lightning = baaaaaaad.

[BENJI FLYNN]

Benji smiled and quickly looked around, "I live just out of town, we can catch a bus if you prefer, I know flying can take a lot of getting used to." He tucked his free hand into his pocket and bit down on his lip. He was glad she had agreed, plus the fact she was willing to skip lessons was a plus. Benji didn't go to school, so he rarely went out during the day. It was nice to do something for a change. He spotted a bus coming around the corner, they were pretty frequent in this area and he always caught them if he didn't feel like flying.

As if by magic the sun peeped out from behind a cloud and shone over Maxville. Perfect, Benji thought, smiling again and looking at Coco. What a day this was turning out to be. Without waiting for her reply, he stepped onto the parked bus, paid for their tickets and practically dragged her towards the back. He sat beside the window, scooting over to allow her to sit next to him. "I've just thought, you won't have any of your things..." what a pity. "Would you mind wearing someone else's? I have a few spares in a draw somewhere. Unless you want to go back to yours first?"