Ragdoll and Posh – Lectra’s Story In all technicality he is the first story of the two, but you can read in either order.

I fell over, the gloves on my hands absorbed the impact and I sat up on my knees. I Looked around and saw a girl looking at the park through the chainlink fence. She was wearing short jeans, a black tank top, and a half buttoned, button up shirt. She had a long electric blue pony tail and long bangs of the same color which she brushed out of her face. She picked up her board and left.

I don’t know what drove me to follow her. Maybe it was her unconventional appearance, her blue Hair was definitely new. I picked up my skateboard and walked to a bench. I peeled off all of my equipment and left, board and helmet in tow.  I followed her to the Ragdoll station, and her strange appearance made sense. I had heard that the younger Ragdolls looked odd but I hadn’t seen one or known I’d seen one.

I followed her down the stairs and tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped up with a squeal and turned around.

“Guilty conscience?” I asked. I don’t know what made me say it, I wish I didn’t. She glared at me and said,

“No, it’s just that police officer grab Ragolls off the street and they start by grabbing their shoulder.” I shrugged and scratched the back of my head.

“Sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to know your name.” Again, I didn’t know what made me say these things but they just came out and I couldn’t stop them. Her bright green eyes crackled with the residue of anger.

“My name’s Lectra.”  I looked at her hair. Was she named for her electric blue hair?

I looked at her hair. Was she named for her electric blue hair?

“That’s not your real name, is it?” She shook her head.

“Earn it, Posh boy.”

The train rattled into the station and I followed Lectra into the car by showing my all train pass. I was ushered to a seat and the conductor looked at me as if I was royal. She decided to open the conversation.

“Why did you want to know my name?” She relaxed into her chair and smirking at me. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I felt so awkward, I didn’t know where I was going. Literally and in the conversation.

“I saw you at the skate park,” I said. “You looked different.” I blushed and tried to stammer an apology, but she laughed.

“Nah, it’s okay.” She played with her bangs. “I forgot the Poshes don’t really dye hair. But why did you want to talk to me? Come to think of it, why did you even follow me?”

“Your board looks different.”

She smirked.

“I don’t know why I followed you. You just-just- seemed interesting.” She laughed again. A slight depression fell upon me like a blanket. “To be honest, I don’t see much color in the day to day life.” I shrugged. “My life’s not that exciting and, sure, there’s TV and other places, but at home, nope. Color is restricted to black and white, so are school uniforms.” I sighed. “Even the buildings in the city are gray, black and bleak. We have trees but not where I live.”

“Where do you live?” She asked. I could feel my cheeks grow hot.

“Vanture Tower.”

She gasped. I nodded.

“I’m Richard Vanture, we live in the penthouse apartment on top of my father’s company.” I looked at the ground. I was uncertain how she would react. What if she had already judged me for being a Posh?

“That’s cool,” She said. I looked up.

“Really?” Hope swelled inside me. She nodded. I sighed in relief. “That’s good. When I introduce myself to people, all I can see is the jealousy in their eyes.”

“You can’t be serious,’ She said, an incredulous tone in her voice. “Why should they be envious. That’s my job.”

I nodded.

“I know. But it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.” I shrugged. “I guess it’s nice, but it lacks a hominess. It’s all stainless steel, spotless carpet. Don’t knock that over, don’t spill that.” The train lurched to a halt and the doors slid one and we both exited the train.

The station was above ground and the sun drenched. The buildings in the city had blocked out the sun, but now we were bathed in golden light. I hadn’t ever seen the sun express such freedom. He heaved a great sigh and slapped her board onto the ground. With a shove, she kicked off. I hurriedly snapped on my helmet and followed suit. We skated to a clump of bushes. She stopped and turned to me.

“You’re going to want to take that off.” I raised my eyebrows, my mother never lets me go to the skate park without one. “You’re going to get ridiculed incessantly.” I shrugged, she didn’t wear a helmet, and apparently, her friends didn’t either. We walked out from behind the bush and we saw a group of kids about our age.

“The one with red hair is Scar, green is Verde, purple is Vi, and yellow is Zap.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“I guess I’m the odd one out now.” Scar popped her bubble gum and looked me up and down.

“Posh.” She said. I blushed. She laughed.

“I brought him to teach him how to really skate,” She said. They laughed and welcomed me in with somewhat open arms. Verde laughed in a high squeaky voice,

“Yeah, dog, let’s do this thing.” He offered his fist to bump and I smashed into it. I grinned and I think Verde and I must have looked rather Silly.

To my astonishment, the “skate park” was an abandoned water park. The paths were well kept and groomed, the slides, though sun bleached and old looking, seemed somewhat clean. The lazy river was washed and looked like an awesome pit. The largest yellow slide was the one we were headed for. I didn’t understand why Zap called it Gertrude. But I didn’t really care.

I could feel a sense of foreboding as we climbed up. Scar was the first to leave, she rode it masterfully and gracefully, the look of a practiced master. Her scarlet hair streamed out from underneath her backward baseball cap. The others followed until it was just Lectra and me.

I hesitated. Ran my finger along the lip of the plastic. It was old and aged, I had never felt anything like it. It left a slightly powdery, gummy residue on my fingers. I gulped. Lectra sighed.

“I’ll tell you my name, and give you one if you go down.”

I raised my eyebrows. I shook her outstretched hand.

“My name’s Gene.”

I raised my eyebrows again, an unexpected name for such a personality.

“How about, Vant?” She asked. I paused for a moment.

I like it,” I said. She smiled and made a shooing gesture for him to go down the slide.

“I launched down the slide, the wind whipping through my hair. Feeling the freest I had ever been.

This is for the CWWC -2017, Challenge 7. For Team Half-Blood. I used all three prompts for this challenge. Let’s be lost.