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❝The story of your life is so twisted 'cause someone out there is missing everything you do
The story of your life is unwritten, so put me down as your ticket; don't even fight it
Leave behind your troubled eyes; See brand new what I can do; Just say yes if you really want me to❞
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A pair of sneakers tapped against the tiled floor as their owner ran through the corridor. Yes, believe it or not, Annabeth Fletcher was running. It was an awkward kinda of gait, really... but she was still going for it. What else could she do? As she sat in the stands that afternoon, watching the game with hopes for her team to win, her hopes were crushed when the Ravenclaw Seeker caught the Snitch and ended the game. It didn't take long, maybe ten or fifteen minutes, and the match was over as well as Gryffindor's chances of winning a game this term. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was that Romulus had left the Pitch in a rush, trying to hide his face from everyone. Anna wouldn't stand for it! Her friend was upset, and that just would not do! Somehow, she had managed to control her breathing while she sped down the hall. 'Ha! This running thing isn't so--' Her thought was interrupted as she came to a tumbling halt, falling head over heels and landing on the hard floor. Thankfully, her arms kept the tile from breaking her face. Annabeth grunted, and returned to her feet. Where was he? She knew that she had saw him flee to this corridor. Slowing her pace to a jog, the Gryffindor continued down the hall until she finally found her friend, sitting in a window seat with his head in his hands, his Quidditch gear piled up on the floor. "Romulus!" the girl called, hurrying over and plopping down into the seat to face him. Her hair was twisted and curled from the wind outside, but her hat seemingly contained most of it. Round blue eyes found the boy's, filled with concern. "Hey, are you okay? You kinda stormed off, and you got me worried." Annabeth hoped that her friend would be okay. She knew how fragile his self-esteem was, how easily it could be shattered like glass.

❝The story of your life is so twisted 'cause someone out there is missing everything you do
The story of your life is unwritten, so put me down as your ticket; don't even fight it
Leave behind your troubled eyes; See brand new what I can do; Just say yes if you really want me to❞
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He seemed confused by her presence here, and Annabeth wondered if she should have followed him at all. At least he kept eye contact with her, though, even that was painful. He looked so... sad. As she listened to his words, the Gryffindor could only frown. 'He's really down in the dumps...' she thought as he continued. She remained silent, processing what he had said in her mind. It was when he started crying that she finally spoke up. "Romulus Bleiddiaid. You, my friend, are not a quitter. Sure, you left the team last time, but you had your reasons, right? And you came back, which proves that you wanted to try again. That is not a quitter. That is someone who wants to learn from his mistakes, someone who goes looking for greatness instead of waiting for it to be thrust upon them, and Romy, you are a great Seeker. So you had a bad season? Everyone hits a roadblock now and then. All you can do is keep trying and do better next time, learn from these past games, practice until you're the top Seeker in the school!" Annabeth realized that her voice had slowly grown from a soft, gentle whisper to that of a loud, lion's roar. She returned to her normal tone, afraid that a Prefect or somebody would hush her. The girl continued. "And about that person you like? I'm sure they'll understand. Don't be afraid, Romulus. You're a Gryffindor. We were born to be brave. It's in our blood. Just do what you gotta do, buddy. I'm sure it'll all work out in the end." Annabeth smiled at him, hoping to cease his tears. Just like the stories, she wanted his ending to be happy. Than again... sometimes, life was no fairytale. Still. If anyone deserved a happy ending, it was Romy. She nodded to herself. Yes. That's how it needed to be.

❝The story of your life is so twisted 'cause someone out there is missing everything you do
The story of your life is unwritten, so put me down as your ticket; don't even fight it
Leave behind your troubled eyes; See brand new what I can do; Just say yes if you really want me to❞
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Annabeth did not flinch as he slowly grew more and more angry. Any sane person would back away, at least. Maybe even run away. But not her. Her sanity was of question, apparently, because the girl did not back away nor flee. She stood her ground... in a sitting position, but still. Suddenly, Romy was standing, glaring at her, his gentle blue eyes turned dark. Anna's crystal blue irises did not leave those dark pools of stormy ocean blue. As quickly as he had become angered, he was calm again, back to normal... sorta. His eyes were no longer frightening, but frightful. He regained his seat across from her, and she blinked at him, confused. He had just switched emotions faster than a lightning flash. As he apologized, Annabeth only watched him. "Romulus. You do not suck at your position on the team. Did it ever occur to you that you were chosen for the starting spot because you're a good Seeker? I think you're a wicked Seeker, and so does Remy, I'm sure. Maybe she asked you to be on the team because she saw potential in you that you are blind to. As for you getting angry, it's perfectly alright. I'd rather you scream at me than some passing first year. Now then, are you going to tell me why you just started screaming at me? You know I'll probably find out eventually whether you like it or not, but you could save me some time and tell me now. So?" Anna crossed her arms over her chest, and continued to watch him, awaiting an explanation of some sort. Anything to get him off this topic of his "horrible Quidditch skills", which was not true at all. At least, not to her, anyways.

❝The story of your life is so twisted 'cause someone out there is missing everything you do
The story of your life is unwritten, so put me down as your ticket; don't even fight it
Leave behind your troubled eyes; See brand new what I can do; Just say yes if you really want me to❞
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Problems. Didn't everyone have problems in some way? Though, Romy's seemed deeper than what he let on. Controlling emotions seemed easy for her, but obviously not for him. Why? As he looked away from her, Annabeth watched him curiously. His explanation... it was... rather humorous. She couldn't help but giggle a little. "I'm sorry for laughing, but emotionally challenged is just a funny way to say it. And I don't think you're crazy, Romy. Heck, I never said I was completely sane either." she said. Anna hoped he would not be offended in any way by what she said. She definitely didn't want to force him away. Who else would he go to? The two of them just seemed to understand each others problems. That's what best friends did. "Ya know, I've got some baggage to carry around too. It's hard sometimes to just... keep going." Anna paused, turning to look out the window at which they sat. The afternoon sun felt wonderful on her face through the glass, and she smiled into the golden light. "But I still keep going. I don't let it take over. Don't let your emotions control who you are, Romy." She turned back to Romulus, still smiling. "You know what I do when I get upset about stuff? I write. I've filled so many journals, I've lost count. Maybe you could try that. It would definitely be a better way to deal with your emotions than screaming at people. But, if you need to scream, find me first, 'kay?" The girl tilted her head ever so slightly, giving the boy a thumbs up. Maybe that would make him feel better? She hoped so, anyways.

❝The story of your life is so twisted 'cause someone out there is missing everything you do
The story of your life is unwritten, so put me down as your ticket; don't even fight it
Leave behind your troubled eyes; See brand new what I can do; Just say yes if you really want me to❞
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Annabeth blinked at him. Her? The epitome of sane? Ha! If only he knew. She looked at his journal, studying to worn cover. Though, he would not open it for her, and she didn't blame him. She wouldn't let anyone, not even Bradley or Tobi, so much as give a sideways glance at her precious notebook. As he pulled it away, she reached into her bag and revealed her own journal. The cover was decorated with pink flowers, which seemed rather girly for her to own, but it was by far her favorite so far. Clutching it to her chest, her eyes followed Romy's out the window to the grounds of the school. The older boy began to quote Poe, and Anna smirked. "And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting, on the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door. And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, and the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor. And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor shall be lifted - nevermore..." A good choice of quotation, she thought. Poe was a classic, but not many could recite it word for word. The girl turned to face her friend, a faint smile on her lips. "Demons of the past... I understand, you know. A good writer can't just be a good teller. They have to be a good listener too." Annabeth rose from the window seat, returning her journal to her bag. The Gryffindor looked down the corridor, and then back at the boy. "I'll see you around, okay? Finals need to be studied for and such. Bye, Romulus." And with that, the young girl started walking down the corridor, headed for the Grand Staircase. From there, her Common Room sounded like a wonderful place to be. A nice couch, her textbooks, her journal wedged into the books so it appeared like she was studying, and a nice glass of pumpkin juice were all in her future.

~Turning the Page: {Exit to Elsewhere}