Ion part 2

         "Ion... Ion!" Ion was awakened unceremoniously by an enormous high-speed impact to his chest
and a tangle of scrawny arms and legs.

        "Hello, Levi." Ion muttered blearily. "What you let him in for Chambri?"

        "It's always a good show." Countered Ions sister, her dark eyes laughing. "Quinn needed to run
errands today so I get to play Nanny with Levi."

        Ion hefted the boy into the air with one arm and glared at Chambri, who hid behind her curtain of dark red hair. In three strides he was across the room dumping the Levi in her arms. "I told you of you feed those things they keep coming back." His sister laughed and shook her head.

       "Iiiooooooooooooonnnnn" It was two hours later in his history of art class. As usual Mai Sado leaned close to Ion and whined in his ear.

        "Why are you here? It has nothing to do with fashion. Go take your own classes."

         "But..." Mai was cut offby a low grunt from Ion.

          "Still waiting for someone to carry your weight for you? Invest some interest in your future. The last thing our society needs is another parasite leaching off everyone else's hard work. Stop fishing for an M.R.S. degree and take care of yourself." Mai looked struck, but slid out of the class. Aparently headed to some sort of colors and fabrics class. Just when Ion thought he could focus on his work her seat was filled... by Lex.

          "Man! Did you have yo lay it on her so hard?"

          "I have no interest in lazy people."

          "Whatever you say, man. If I were you I'd get interested. Next time she might scratch your eyes out! Right, Thorn?"

          Ion started. Thorn Ravenwood had taken the seat on his opposite side without him noticing... sneaky.

           "No."
    
           Thorn was creepy. For some reason Ion felt as though the older man was always watching him. despite this Ion tried to focus on the prof while Lex babbled next to him about teaching Levi how to skateboard that night. The two of them seperated when Ion made for the green houses. Plant care had nothing to do with his animation major, but it was a fair elective and the gardens calmed him. Today was roses. He pruned aggressively, gaining more than a few raised eyebrows but he knew his plant
would be perfect in the end. They always were. One of the thorny branches wound its way around him from behind. In his mind there was a brief flash of darkness, of his fathers frightened eyes. The smell of death replaced the smell of roses.
              He frowned and shook his head, trying not to think of that night eleven years ago. Trying not to think of who he may have been before that. It had nothing to do with who he was now. His left index finger traced the tatoo on his right wrist, pausing at his palm. His pulse hitched as he inspected it. The vine tatoo on his arm now ended in a small bud that had never been there before.
             It suddenly itched like crazy. The vines and blossoms of the roses felt like they were closing in on him. His mind focused on a bright sunny garden. The people around him were laughing and their faced seemed to emit a dull glow. Their hair was wild and uncombed. Ion shook his head harder this time. He gathered his bag and rose clippings for Chambri, before bolting out the door. He scratched furiously at his palm as the bud on his skin slowly spread to a single tiny leaf.