Time Journal Qst

Starman entered into the rhythm of school life with ease and aplomb. There were looks as he passed in the halls and he, as well those who would be his tormentors, knew that things had changed. People spoke of him in hushed voices and they glanced at him and pointed and said his name. These things disturbed as well as pleased, Starman. For the first time since he had entered this school, no one bothered him. Things were going smoothly.

Then, after lunch, the fated moment. It was math class, Snowface sat in front and Starman saw her and then the unexpected: she saw him back and smiled. Then the door opened and the teacher gestured to a young girl with soft auburn hair and as she came in through the door and stood in front of the class, he loved her. And she was all that he had read and imagined; his heart swelled and all of his transformation and change was as nothing before her. He had loved her through time, through imagination, through ignorance. Blind love and therefore total, terrifying love. And now the reality of her was almost too much to bear. The teacher asked her to introduce herself and she stood silent and looked at the ground. After some time she tried to say her name, but it came out broken and anguished. She blushed. He flushed. The students exchanged whispers. The teacher hushed.

The teacher gestured for her to take a seat and, as the journal had foretold, she stepped softly to Starman’s side and took the seat to his right. He saw and heard nothing for the remainder of the class, only steadily counting heartbeats and seconds and committing every nuance of form and feature to the memories he already had. He brought himself under control, but when the class ended, she left, and her footsteps away were wounds in him. He wanted to follow her, but discretion and sanity kept him in check and he walked to his own class.

What Starman did not see was Snowface, glancing at Starman’s now chiseled forms with longing.

>>370116
The next day, Starman waited patiently for math class. He practically ran to his class, hoping to see Newgirl before the teacher arrived and introduce himself. He had arrived early enough. But Newgirl had not. And Snowface had. He leaned against the wall and waited. Snowface approached him.
“Hey” She said.
“Um...Hi.” Starman was bewildered. But he thought that she looked pretty and despite himself he was nervous. She leaned against the wall next to him.
“So you look...different.”
“Different?”
“Yeah, but you know, like, in a good way. Have you been working out or something?” She carefully pushed back her hair and revealed an ear and leaned slightly forward. He could smell her now, he could taste her in his tongue.
“S-something like that.”
“It looks good...you look good.” She smiled. He returned her smile.
“Thanks. You too.”
“Really?” What was this? He sensed genuine concern in her voice, as if this question was of vital importance. As if his opinion was suddenly necessary and important.
“Yeah. You - I mean you’ve always looked good, but...yeah.” She blushed. She blushed? What was this? This wasn’t correct. She giggled and leaned back again.
“So what d’you think of Preacher?”
“He’s alright I guess.” She smiled and covered her mouth. You don’t understand but you continue. “A little touchy sometimes but at least he knows what he’s doing.”
“Thank you Starman” Says a voice behind you, you turn and see Preacher unlocking the door. “I’m glad to have been found competent in your eyes.”
“Uhh...I-I mean…” He steps inside before you can say anything. Snowface starts giggling and covers her mouth.
“Oh man, your face, you should’ve seen your face!” He laughs it off. And then he sees her and she sees him, laughing with Snowface and Snowface touches his arm and she sees it and looks down and then madness in his mind and fire in his blood.

He takes his seat, the class goes on. Snowface takes Newgirl’s seat and sits next to him. Newgirl sits in the front, away from him. The next day he sees Newgir in the hallway before class, students are throwing spitwads in her hair.

>He walked on and said nothing
>He walked over silently and slung his arm around her shoulder and brushed the spitwads from her hair
>He told her tormentors to stop

>>370120
>>He told her tormentors to stop
Guess we should put a stop to this sooner rather than later.

>>370120
>He walked over silently and slung his arm around her shoulder and brushed the spitwads from her hair
I don't see Starman as being confrontational, he seems to be a quiet man. If we could I would put an unpleasant face towards the bullies, and then usher her towards class. Maybe try to say something about having her come to him if the other students bother her.

>>370272
That does sound a lot more like what I had in mind as well.

>>370287
By the way, do you know if the previous threads have been archived? It would be nice to reference the previous threads

>>370312
Here: http://pastebin.com/K4tgfDMZ

>>370337
Thank you OP! I've been following the story since you started it, but sometimes it's nice to go over what's been done. particularly the journal entries we've read.

>>370120
>He walked over etc etc
Who gives a fuck about Snowface, bitch wouldn't have given a crap about Starman if not for his new looks, we're on a quest for true love here mates.
This option sounds really like something that Burly would do, and we know Newgirl fell for him at first in the other timeline, before meeting Starman. This way we can bypass the whole Burly thing and hopefully get to know her better sooner.

>>373876
(On a side note, welcome back OP, I'd been waiting for the next thread, I love this quest and your writing style)

>>370120
>He walked over silently and slung his arm around her shoulder and brushed the spitwads from her hair
Anon's right about this feeling more accurate

>>374005
>>373876
>>370287
>>370272

He walked over silently and slung his arm around her shoulder casually and brushed the spitwads from her hair cautiously. And she smelled of sweet things, scented soap and flowers, and though he had not touched her, only hovered his hand by her shoulder to give the illusion of touch, still, he could feel her tremble as his warmth passed to her. He leaned forward to her cheek, resisting the terrible impulse to touch lips and moved to whisper in her ear.
“Just follow my lead.” Her chin came down slightly and her eyes up slightly, he felt her breath on his cheek and all bravado left him, yet at that moment he was ready to die. And all this in a second’s lifetime -- measured in its factual history -- but they measured time with emotion and the moment was stretched to a nervous eternity.

They continued walking in that state, his hand feeling the heat of her bare shoulder on its fingertips, her head down and her eyes away from his eyes. All passed away. Everything, every sensation. Starman wondered if he had really died, if all this, since the day he had sat on the windowsill and the recieved the call and found the journal, was all a dream and this one moment the jarring note which would wake him. And then he was afraid.

He checked himself. He did not even know Newgirl! How could he be so infatuated with a person whom he had not even exchanged pleasantries with? He glanced sidelong at her, her cheeks were red and she looked intently at the ground. If Starman told the truth, he would’ve said Snowface was prettier, but love fashions its own truth, he had fallen into the “happy abyss” the journal had spoken of. He had no intention of ever getting out.

Then the moment was over and too short, Starman thought. She stopped him and touched the hand on her shoulder with the tips of her fingers. Starman retracted his arm as if he had touched something boiling. She faced him. He wanted to say something, but all words escaped him (the irony of that, didn’t), his throat went dry.

>>374331
“Listen! (That was way too loud, was he trying to rally factory workers in a labor strike?)...um...uh if-if those guys bother you again, just let me know ok? I-I have some experience in...that sort of thing (he didn’t know what he saying now, what was “that sort of thing” supposed to be? He thought about pointing behind him to clarify what he meant, but he realized that would be ridiculous. Then he considered actually explaining what he meant and describing in great detail the entirety of his history at the school and then he realized he had been looking at the floor in deep thought for too long and snapped up to look at her and she gave him a confused look and he quickly did some mental calculations for whether he would survive a fall from the current floor and where the nearest window was.)” She looked down.
“W-w-w-w-w-w-won’t your g-g-g-g-g-girlfriend mind?” She frowned. What? WHAT? Starman was afraid that his face had suddenly assumed a look of complete terror so he turned away. It was done too quick -- it looked like he was doing a dance move or a dramatic turn from a soap opera. Starman froze in place. Then he reigned himself in and breathed deeply and he turned back to her.
“I don’t know what you mean. What girlfriend?”
“I s-s-s-saw y-y-y-y-y-y-you with your g-g-g-g-g-g-girlfriend, yesterday. So you’re that kind of p-p-p-p-p-per-son (Starman was certain she wanted to say pervert here, but changed her mind at the last second) huh?” She was scowling now.
“I really think there’s been a misunderstanding. I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Really?” She almost whispered this.
“Yes! Realy!”
“T-t-t-t-t-t-then that-that-that-that girl was…”
“You mean Snowface? Just a...friend I guess, though we’ve never actually spoken before then. But why does all that matter anyway? You looked like you needed a hand so-so I, you know, wanted to help you out. Like I said I have some experience with...that stuff.” She was blushing now.
“Well, m-m-m-m-maybe I d-d-d-d-d-don’t need your-your-your-your help.” She looked at him straight on and scowled and Starman was wounded, he actually stepped back as if he had been struck.

>And he told her he would help her anyway, because he knew what it was to suffer alone and he couldn’t let it happen to another anymore
>And he said nothing and hid his anguish and left her
>And he laughed to hide his hurt and he said “As you like. But friends look out for each other don’t they? Think of me as a friend.” And he extended his hand and spoke his name.

>>374333
>>And he told her he would help her anyway, because he knew what it was to suffer alone and he couldn’t let it happen to another anymore
Time for maximum smooth. Or maximum spaghetti drop, either is fine.

>>374333
>And he told her he would help her anyway, because he knew what it was to suffer alone and he couldn’t let it happen to another anymore
Wew lad

>>374563
Yeah as I read this back it feels overly dramatic, but then, Starman is a dramatic guy.

And he said “Ok.” And he sighed. He turned to leave and he turned back and faced her and he said “But you know something? I was bullied too. All last year. And it really sucks. I mean the getting-beat-up-part and all that stuff, yeah it’s a crapsack, but the worst part isn’t that. It’s that there isn’t anyone who’ll stick with you because they think they’ll get hurt if they stick with you. And that’s true. But the thing is...you get to thinking that because no one will help you, or even really look at you, that you aren’t worth helping. That you’re something...less than everybody else. That’s what really hurts deep because you start convincing yourself that you can’t talk to anyone, can’t even have any friends and that it has to be like this for their sake. And once you get to that point you starting thinking...maybe you’re better off...well, the point is that it gets really bad. And maybe I don’t know everything about you (and truthfully he didn’t, though he knew a lot) or what you’ve been through and...stuff, but I want to help.” Starman breathed. He realized he’d entered into a rant and flushed. She looked at him. He looked back and said “And I will. I’ll help you even if you say you don’t need it.” And as soon as he had said it, he was embarrassed and he walked away as quickly as he could. He wanted to look back, but he didn’t.

During lunch (which was free time when the students could exit the school and stretch their legs outside) Starman went to his favorite donut shop and stared at the displays. He wanted to gorge himself, but months of discipline overcame petty impulse and he ate his prepared lunch instead. It was fair autumn weather, the leaves were beginning to color and the air was chilled but the sun made it comfortable. Starman decided to eat outside in the school park. Normally this would’ve been unthinkable, and normally Starman would would hide in a bathroom stall or in a maintenance closet or an in an empty classroom -- precautions to avoid having his lunch taken or his arms bruised -- and he would eat his meals quietly and with great caution -- like a rat.

>>374831
But things had changed, he no longer feared his tormentors. The shock of strength in his limbs was something he ached to test, let the first bully challenge him who will, he would also be the last. But, none came. He sat at the base of the fountain in the middle of the park. It was a statue of a woman pouring water from a gourd, in the springtime the gourd held water and it flowed into the fountain. But now, it was autumn and the fountain was only stone and concrete. Starman ate his lunch, looking at the ground and thinking about the events of the day. She had thought he had a girlfriend. And the way she had said “really”...he wished he had the journal with him to verify his hunches. He knew he loved her or would love her and did love her, but the other question remained and as he pondered a hand came within his vision, a white hand and it held a card.

He looked up and she was there and smiling. He understood his other self’s excitement, the ferocity in the journal entry, the rarity of the smile redoubled its power. She pushed the card into his hand. It was a cheesy greeting card, but on the inside she had written: “Thank You.” When he looked up she was already walking away.

>He sat and ate his lunch, letting the joy to wash over him like a wave
>He chased after her to speak to her

>>374833
>>He sat and ate his lunch, letting the joy to wash over him like a wave
We can always catch up with her later. She's probably super embarrassed.

>>374932
This

>>374932
Sounds like a solid response. I also have a hunch that Starman would honestly be completely unprepared for something like this.

Just wanted to let everyone know that because of unforeseen circumstances (namely my ssd dying on me and me losing all the data on my computer -- I'm actually running a portable linux distro from a usb right now) I won't be able to update this thread for a few days while I get sorted out.

Apologies to posters and lurkers alike, but I promise I'll be back by next weekend. Hope you're enjoying the quest so far.

>>379619
No problem OP, take your time and see ya around.