Comin' Up From Behind/Synopsis

## Comin' Up From Behind

It's another bright shining morning at Walker's Point High School, and the group is gathering at a lunch table in the cafeteria. Joe, Fletcher, Charlotte and Paulo are already seated at the table, with their lunch trays in front of them. Joe seems preoccupied, looking around the cafeteria rather than eating. Charlotte makes a sarcastic remark, and when Joe fails to rise to the bait, she asks him if he's aware he's blissfully immune to sarcasm today. He fails to rise to the bait again, then he starts to ask if anyone has seen…

Sean takes the seat across from Joe, saying "Hey" to the table. Joe's evident relief and Charlotte's asking Sean if he's still all angsty indicates Sean has been away for a time. He answers Charlotte's remark with a snark of his own, convincing her he's back to about normal. Sean says he'd kill for normal. Getting excited, she tells him normal is boring. This … Joe thing … this is awesome. Right at that moment, Phoebe shows up at the table with her tray, pointing out they speak of the awesome, and she appears. She takes a seat on the bench next to Joe, opposite from where Charlotte is sitting on Joe's other side. Getting a bit catty, Charlotte asks if this is a thing now. Hamming it up, Phoebe asks if she means her having lunch with the illustrious Baby Heist, and she answers herself, saying it is definitely a thing. Looking down the table at the girls bracketing the clueless Joe, Fletcher puts his two cents in by suggesting that as long as it's not awkward. Charlotte is eyeing up Phoebe, who is looking back as though butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. Paulo admits that he doesn't know what's going on. Fletcher tells him they know. Digging for more, Paulo prods him, asking if that's all he's going to say. He answers yes.

Charlotte turns to Joe with a considering look. Just as he's bringing his fork up to his mouth, she asks if he can turn into anything, because she's got some ideas on how he could use that power, then she puts her hand on his arm. Joe drops his food and offers her a shaky "What?" wearing a stressed out look. Sean suddenly turns his attention to his burger, taking a big bite. Flustered, Joe stammers at her while she keeps giving him that look, then with a smile, she lets him off the hook, saying she's kidding, mostly. Phoebe rolls her eyes and tells her that was incredibly subtle. Looking at Charlotte, Joe confesses he doesn't understand what's going on, echoing Paulo from earlier. Fletcher comments that that seems right. Suddenly, Paulo calls for an insight check,, sort of like reading the room. Fletcher gets it and rolls his eyes. Still looking a bit worried, Joe asks him what that was. Paulo says see, that's what it feels like. Joe looks back and forth between the two girls, then he asks the table for help. The girls laugh.─────────────────────

While Joe tries to figure out what's going on, the littlest witch, who is attending high school pretending to be a student, is watching the gang from a couple tables away.─────────────────────

Joe finishes his lunch then heads out of the cafeteria, waving to his friends on the way out. He passes Corkindale who's busy in the hall pulling trash, and when the old man says he needs to─ Joe cuts him off with a quick nope, waving him off. Later, on the way to another class with books under one arm, Corkindale sticks his head out of a utility room, telling Joe he needs to l─ Joe closes the door on him, saying it's still nope. Now Joe is walking outside, hands in his pockets, when he runs into Corkindale again; this time the old man is raking leaves. Giving Joe a grim look, Corkindale tells him they need to talk. Giving back as good as he gets, Joe starts to say nope, when Corkindale grabs him and tells Joe if he says nope one more time, he's going to slap him so hard both ears will end up on the same side of his head. Getting really angry, Corkindale yells at him that he can't get away this time; wherever Joe goes, he goes. Despite Corkindale, Joe says nope one more time, even as feathers begin sprouting on his head and arms. Joe turns into a red-tailed hawk and flies off, leaving Corkindale with a handful of clothes and disbelief on his face. He spits out a mild curse, watching as Joe wings off into the sunset, then he says that, well, at least his control is getting better.─────────────────────

Back in the school, the littlest witch is busy. She gets into Fletcher's locker and steals a dirty comb. She takes a chewed-on pen from Charlotte's desk in class. She snags one of Paulo's dirty socks from the locker room, offering a commentary on how filthy boys are. She grabs Sean's unfinished burger from the cafeteria table. She picks up Phoebe's misplaced retainer, amending her commentary to include all teenagers. She heads toward home with her oddly specific treasures secured in a satchel at her side, and a smug smile on her face.─────────────────────

Joe is flying high above the city of Walker's Point, up among the clouds, when he is startled to find he's being shadowed by a much larger winged creature. This creature bears Kagan's face, and she offers to go if he tells her he wants her to. They fly together silently long enough for Kagan to feel hope for their relationship … and she smiles.

## References

1. ↑ See Trivia:Insight Check
2. ↑ Comin' Up From Behind **John Amor** Dec 21, 2019 *in a reply to* **Icirian** Dec 17, 2019