Speed vs. Stamina (Hyde}

“When I said friends, you were included in that category. I wouldn’t leave you out like that. ” Hyde would say as he was pushing to win, but it seemed like Lola was about to beat him. However, she suddenly stopped and said something interesting. “Finish the race together?” Hyde would say as he stopped right next to her, this was a first. Someone that was willing to finish the race instead of winning it all on her own. That’s something that you couldn’t necessarily do in a professional competition. “Wow, that’s pretty thoughtful of you. Alright….” Hyde would say as he straightened himself up. “We can finish the race together then, you and me.” Hyde then proceeded to cross the finish line with Lola.

Lola was glad to hear that he was willing to finish the race with her. She was actually afraid that he would pass her as soon as she made the offer. But she believed that people, especially Users like him, were good at the core of everything. And a plague on the person who proved her wrong! That wouldn’t be him though. She would nod with a smile as they both crossed the line, “Oh that was so much fun.” The cheer would escape her before she could even think of it, “I didn’t think I would enjoy running as a normal activity. I’ve never done it before, you know. I’ve only ever done it when needed, which is more often than I’d care to admit.” She would turn to him and wrap her arms around him in a hug, “Thank you so very much for showing me this wondrous thing. Did you know that you are very good at this. I mean, you could work on your speed, but you didn’t seem to ever give.” She was still on high from racing and she wouldn’t be coming down for a while.

Hyde would blush slightly as she hugged him, it really has been a while since received any kind of hugs or anything at all. Hyde wasn’t even hugged when he was an orphan; he had a hard time growing up regardless of how positive he tried to be. So this was a bit new to him, and he appreciated the gesture. “ Hyde hugged her back and then he let go. He looked at her with his usual smile. “I don’t like to give up, and I felt that we would both appreciate it if we gave it our all Competitions can be fun too..” Also, Hyde thought back to something that Lola mentioned before. “Hey, Lola…. you mentioned a book back at the velvet room…”

“Competition is fun, assuming everyone knows that it is for fun and not for keeps.” She could see that now. It was so exciting to have a friendly competition. When he mentioned the book, she would almost blush and wave her hands in front of her face, “Don’t worry about that. I wasn’t actually going to force you to sign mine or anything. I was just joking.” She would look away with her cheeks still burning up, “It’s just that we attendants have these special books that we can have guests sign for us and they help us get stronger. I’ve never had anyone sign mine and sometimes I get too excited at thinking they could. I would never have you do it against your will. After all, we are hear to help you, not force you to do things.” She had been a little too excited last time and the prospect of someone signing hers. The final decision was his though. For all she knew, he wanted to sign someone else’s.

“But…I do want to sign it….” Hyde would say immediately after she mentioned not forcing him to do anything. “If it means that you’ll get stronger, of course ill sign it Lola. I’ll be our strength, and you’ll be mine. To be honest, this isn’t the first time I signed something. “Hyde gave off a small chuckle as he puts his hands in his pockets. “On top of that, we could go exploiting the other worlds and fight together. It’s always good to know that you have someone to count on, I for one am glad that you are one of those people. Were friends, aren't we?

“You do…?” Her eyes would glow with joy when she heard him say that. She had never felt like as much of an attendant as she did right now. A User was willing to sign her Compendium and officially be her guest. She would scream for joy and jump up and down if it wasn’t for the fact that someone might see her. Actually, who cared? She would squeal in pure delight as she bobbed up and down on her toes, “You know, you’re already my friend and you don’t have to sign I for me, but if you did that would be great. I never imagined that someone would actually want to sign it. You know, you’re the best person ever for saying you would.” He would be the first person to ever sign it for her and he would probably never know what that meant to her. She tried to be a good attendant these days, and to her this was the ultimate thing she could do to help all their guests. She would take his hands in her own and close her eyes, “You know, you Users are like a beacon of hope. You protect and save the world from the things that wish to do harm, never expecting anything out of it except a brighter tomorrow. As an attendant, I want to protect that hope that you carry.” This was the whole reason she started taking her job as an attendant more seriously.

“That’s a lot of flattery Lola, I almost think that I’m not well deserving of it. You are a wonderful person, I’m sure I wouldn’t be the last person that takes a liking to you. Pretty soon…..that notebook of yours would be full of people who care about you….every single name. Oh…. One second… “ Hyde went back to the bleachers to go into his book bag, he then took out two more bottles of water. “You want one? I’m sure you must be thirsty after all that running, on top of the fact that were out in this heat. “As Hyde opens his water bottle with his teeth, he started to think about what lola said. “Sometimes fighting can be scary, on top of the fact that we can lose out lives as well. That’s why there has to be a meaning behind every battle, something worth risking our lives for. It’s enough for me to know I’ll be saving the lives of my friends and innocent people in the process, that’s enough to keep me going. It gets hard, and people will say things to hurt you… but you have to keep going regardless of that.

Lola shook her head, “You deserve it. Anyone that takes on the responsibility you did will always deserve that kind of praise.” She would blush again as he spoke of her Compendium being filled with the names of guests, “You really think I can get that many and that they would all care about me?” It was a strange thought. She knew that they were here to help guests, and she knew that people tended to form friendships, but she had never really thought of those who signed it to care for her. It made her heart flutter, “Well, I hope I could do all of those guests proud.” She wasn’t worried about the responsibility that meant she would have to take on. As much as she would rather prefer not having to do more work that was pushed aside by her will to keep the hope that Users bore alive and be there when they needed her. She would raise a single hand, turning down his offer of water. She wouldn’t say it out loud, but she didn’t like the taste of water. It was always strange to her, “I think… that is a brave response. I’m glad to know that there are Users like you out in the world.” With people like him, hope would stay alive. This world could see brighter days. That moved her and made her more happy than anything else.

“Alright Lola, let’s get out of here. It’s pretty hot outside and believe it or not, I saw a girl catch a heat stroke before. It wasn’t necessarily a pretty sight….” After giggling the change in his pocket, Hyde had an idea. “Want to go get some ice cream then? I think that the cart comes by in front of the school it might have that chocolate bar that I want.” Hyde was really craving for something that would help keep him cool. As a matter of fact, anything would do in this situation. “I don’t mind treating you; consider it job well done as an attendant.”

“Yes, it may be best to get out of this heat, but what is a heat stroke?” Lola wasn’t completely ignorant of human culture, but she still didn’t know everything. Illnesses were one of the things she didn’t know at all. Could she even get heat stroke as an attendant? She had never looked into that. As soon as she heard the word ice-cream, she immediately perked up and looked at him, “I have never had ice-cream, but I hear it is delicious. Is this true? Can there really be something so good out there?” She had heard about it so often that it was more like a fable than anything else, “Please, I would love to try some of it.” She was as excited as a kid in a candy shop. This was one of those things she always thought would never happen, but now it was. She got to try one of the human delicacies. Was that the word? Who cared, she was getting to do it, “Lead the way to the ice-cream!” She would follow him as soon as he started walking. She was just happy she had made friends with one of her guests.

{EXIT- you may post after this or send it straight to Grant, but this is my last one for the thread}