College? Or No College? *ADA

[ALAN DUKE OUTLAW]

"Well, do ya want to go to college or not?"

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That question seemed to be the theme of this year to a handful of his students, Juinors and Seniors alike. Both grades were coming to the time where they needed to decide what they wanted to do after Sabal Palms, after all they couldn't stay here forever, could they? Surely, some of them would love to stay here and hideaway from the real world, but that wasn't exactly one of their options. They simply had to decide if they wanted to continue on to college, or buckle up and race into the real world. Tough choice.

The bronze colored plaque on the door read
'ALAN D. OUTLAW
STUDENT COUNSELOR
last names A-H"

The dark haired male sat behind his bare, oak desk. The counselor didn't keep much there, a couple writing utensils, a large paper calender pad, a photo of the woods in TN (where he primarily grew up), a 'Barrel of Monkeys' game (no, seriously.). Most of his more exciting belongings were arranged neatly on a bookshelf that matched his desk. There were things like football trophies, awards, certificates, gifts from his former students, and even some from his current students. Photos of himself and his family, as well as himself and some of his favorite students. Though, he wasn't allowed to admit they were his favorites, they were.

The counselor's hands went from behind his head to the surface of his desk, his right hand coming up to rest against the scruff on his face, 'Should probably get this shaved soon,' He thought to himself. He glanced at the clock through deep grey blue eyes, It was five minutes past the scheduled appointment of one Ada Hollys. The female senior wasn't generally late, so this time he would make an exception and wouldn't hassle her about it... too much. Alan figured he might as well be ready for when she waltzed in the door in the graceful manner which she usually held. He chuckled slightly, admitting to himself that the girl was definitely clumsy at her finer moments. The male smoothed the wrinkles from his cotten, pale blue shirt and plucked a few pieces of lint from his dark, nearly black, denim jeans.

The clock was still ticked, "Oh Ada, what in the world is takin' ya so darn long?" He questioned aloud, knowing the only person to hear him would be himself. The male opened one of his file cabinet drawers, thumbing through the alphabetical list of students, finding Ms. Hollys' folder and pulling it out. The contents inside were things such as grades, letters from her teachers or family, records from her sports and health, as well as a fresh new pile of college information packets. He had to get somewhere with this girl, she had a lot of potential, and he would be damned if he let her waste it away at some McDonald's or a go-kart attraction off I-Drive. Completely unacceptable in his eyes.
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[Ada Marie Hollys]

"I'm off the hook! I brought snacks!" The door burst open with a bang. Snacks, it seemed, were going to come in the form of a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos. "Mom always said not to come to a party empty handed."

Ada sidled happily into the seat oposite of her couselor, takign the time to scoot it in as close as possible. In what she could only assume was a perfectly charming manner she propped her eblows on the desk and brace her chin against her interlaced fingers. Tre school girl. She could almost look the part with her childish features - almost, if not for the ragged t-shirt and cotton shorts. In all reality Ada had gotten distracted (as she was prone to) and had stayed longer on the field than she'd meant to. As she'd just been shooting the breeze as oposed to running, she'd forgone a shower in favor of snacks.

"So, what's the buzz, tell me what's a happenin'." Freeing a hand briefly, she scooted the bag closer to Mr Outlaw. Truth be told, Ada may have gotten distracted on purpose. She liked Mr Outlaw, he was a nice down-to-earth guy, she just didn't particularly like his job. While she was a woman who knew herself pretty well, she wasn't a woman who really knew where she fit. Ada had to think that maybe that was what the counselor was there for, but at the same time....

The whole notion made her a bit itchy. She didn't want to get stuck somewhere for the rest of her life.

[ALAN DUKE OUTLAW]

The student counselor nearly fell from his seat as the door swung open and into the rubber stopper on the wall with a thud. The male brought himself upright with a quickness that hardly anyone could quite master as he did, "Snacks? Darlin' you're nearly ten minutes late, and you're bringin' me Doritos to make up for it?" A crooked smile spread across the man's lips as he snagged the bag from Ada and tore it open, trying as hard as he could to not make the bag crinkle like a danged busted TV. He knew the receptionist probably wouldn't approve of accepting bribery from students, but Alan didn't give a hoot, it was his office, he'd been here long enough to do nearly whatever he damn well pleased. Okay, so maybe he'd only been here just over four years, but still that's a long time. Not like he'd really fit in much anywhere else, but he didn't mind. He liked the school and the students as well.

Alan's eyes lingered on Ms Hollys a moment longer than they should have as she perched her chin upon her laced fingers in the most 'innocent' of fashions. He rather enjoyed having Ada come for sessions, she was bright, bubbly, entertaining for sure, and though he'd never admit this to probably anyone, not even Hawkins, who was truly his best buddy here. Typical bromance. The male blinked a few times, regaining the train of his thoughts before they derailed into unmarked, yet most likely forbidden territory. "Well Ada, we're rounding on four years now, you're finally a senior. And to think, I've been through it all with ya since day one.." His smile softened, before tossing a couple of the Doritos into his mouth, and again attempting to not make too much noise.

"Have you thought any about the colleges I told you about over summer? I don't want you to be fallin' behind on the rush and not be able to attend your first choice college, sweetheart. It'd be a damn shame, you've got yourself unlimited potential. Did you ever consider scholarships for track, too?" Mr. Outlaw started off, pushing the stack of brochures closer to the younger female, he noted how disheveled her outfit was, assuming she must've just came from practice as he continued to munch on the bag of chips she had offered him. "By the way Ada, these sure did hit the spot. Thanks." The male then folded down the top of the bag and set it aside, sitting himself fully upright in his chair and placing his hands folded on his desk. It was time for business.

[Ada Marie Hollys]

"See? Snacks make the world go round. Betcha there'd be a lot less politcal unrest if someone just showed up with some queso." She was trying to keep herself from wincing, and settled instead for settling deeper into the chair. she'd slouch if the chairs would allow for it, but somehow she'd never mastered the art of slacking off in a school seat.

"Weeeeellll," high pitched a drawn out - he wasn't about to like what she was going to say. hell, Ada didn't even like it, but there was no point in pussyfooting about or trying to sweep it under the rug. "I think I could probably pull off a minor scholarships, I got good times on the last meet. But to be completely flat out break-your-back honest, I have no idea where I want to go because I have no idea what I want to do."

Ada leaned in close again, she wasn't someone who knew how to sit still. Once more her elbows were on the desk, hands flicking wildly left and right to emphasize this point or that. Thank god Mr Outlaw was the relaxed type, she didn't think she'd be able to drag herself through this kind of meeting if he'd had a board up his-

"I don't want to stalk out in the middle of college taking a bunch of useless classes just trying to decide what I want to do with myself. That's wasteful. Whenever I sit down and try to think about the things I'm good at or the things I like well... I mean what do folks like us even do when we get out besides coming back and teaching? I want to be somewhere I don't have to hide all the time, which means I don't want to be watched. Wait, I'm off track again, back up. OK so things I'm good at and enjoy, like math - I don't want to be an accountant. I like a good suit as much as the next person, but egads I'll be bald before I'm thirty and that's just not a look I can pull off. I don't have the jaw line for it."

Ada stopped abruptly, the way she often did when she got to rambling. A confused expression flickered across her face, as though she was actually trying to piece together her words before spewing them out for once.

"I don't want to be stuck somewhere, miserable, simply because that's the education I got. But I also don't necessarily want to just spin my wheels in a dead-end job for the rest of my life. I don't necessarily need purpose or anything grandiose like that, but I'd like to be content. I believe in being content, you know?" Miraculously, Ada's ramblings had been (comparitively) short. She wasn't completely oblivious, she knew she'd already wasted ten minutes and that she needed to nail down and get serious. It was just-

"It's just uncomfortable."

[ALAN DUKE OUTLAW]

Ada's counselor frowned slightly, he examined her fidgeting, and knew something she would be telling him would be rather displeaing for him to hear. Alan's hands clasped together a little tighter, "Weeeeeellllll..." The senior started off her statement of uncertainty, Mr. Outlaw had to keep himself from exhaling with frustration. They'd been over this several times already, and he did his best to explain to her that going to just get her general AA is not a bad thing, it will give her time to experience what college has to offer and give her a better idea of where she wanted to go in life, but she seemed reluctant to accept that fact.

Alan mimicked Ada in leaning in closer to her, giving the female a crooked smile as she continued her rambling about school and not knowing, and everything else that came to mind. He fortunately didn't mind her ramblings, because many times they led to 'freudian slips' which led to him getting to see what she was really thinking or feeling in there. Things she didn't even realize were things she talked about. He continued listening to her carefully, taking mental notes of things that came across as most important to her. The Senior then made her own attempt at a joke, which cause the counselor to smile slightly, "You're right Ada, bald would do you hardly any good." Alan commented when she had finished.

Mr. Outlaw sat back in his chair, closing his eyes thoughtfully and letting Ada's words wash over him in consideration. He understood her fears, not wanting to waste time or anything, he got that. The Senior had pretty much a good five months or so to make a decision so she could go securely straight from high school to college. But the female was right, there didn't seem to be much place to go that they could go and be open about their true selves. "You're very right darlin', but this doesn't mean to shut out the thought of college all together, y'know? What can I do to help you decide Ada?" Alan asked her, sitting up straight in his seat and looking directly across the desk as her, searching for a valid response.

[Ada Marie Hollys]

For the first time in Ada's life something like helplessness flickered across her features. How did she even begin to ask? What could he even begin to do anyways? His job could only let him go so far and then there was still her pride to speak of.

"Lately I've been thinking about Jack Kerouac. See it all started when I started thinking about joining the Navy or the Air force. But the Air force is a whole lot of paper work, and I don't think I could be a submarine. You know Jack Kerouac was part of the Merchant Marines? Yeah, he got discharged, said 'I can't stand it; I like to be myself'. I think I could be Jack Kerouac in another life. I want to be a fire Lookout. I want to run a marathon through the mountains. i want to have something worth writing about, but I don't ever want to put pen to paper."

Ada sighed, she was dodging and she knew it. It left a bad taste in her mouth. Guilt. Guilt is a horrible, horrible flavour. She knew Mr Outlaw was just trying to help, if only because that was her job. It just wasn't inside of her to make use of another person that way. She was the oldest child, the self reliant one.

"I want to march into White Hall Street and sing a few bars of Alice's Restaurant. I want to climb Mount Rainier. I want to do something with myself. I just don't know what I want to do for a living. I'm not an artist, so I can't get by on wanting. But I'm not a suit either."

For a moment Ada looked like she might start sneezing. She scrunched up her nose in an effort to fight it off. "How many kids have come in here saying they wanted to be Zoologist or Marine Biologists or Forest Rangers?"

It was an honest question. High school was nice and all and this particular one did all it could to prepare its (rather unique) students for their adult lives, but what did people like them actually do?

[ALAN DUKE OUTLAW]

'Jack Kerouac, hmm, sounds familiar.' Mr Outlaw thought, furrowing his brow slightly as he tried to put a face to the name, and then as Ada began describing it the image came to him. He knew a little about the man, but not too much, something about him being an underground writer, dying from alcohol abuse, little tidbits here and there. He let Ada continue her mini rant about what she wanted in life, and he slowly realized all of those are easily attainable with the right training, which is what the school was trying to offer her so she could take that training somewhere else in life and succeed. It was unfortunate to Mr Outlaw that Ada didn't really see the whole picture, which was quite understandable for an eighteen year old girl who was on the edge of graduating and getting dumped out of the place she's known practically day in and day out. To be honest, Alan felt sorry for all his seniors in this predicament. He really wished there was more he could do for them. Find them jobs, colleges, homes, everything. It was really eye opening, once they crossed that stage, got their diploma, they lost everything they knew. The thought brought a look of concern to his face, his eyebrows coming together making his forehead wrinkle with worry.

"How many kids have come in here saying they wanted to be Zoologist or Marine Biologists or Forest Rangers?" Ada's question barreled into his thoughts. The male's face relaxed, slumping his body just slightly as he considered a response. "Not a whole lot, but that's an extremely valid choice, Ada." He'd thought how Ada did track, which seemed odd to him in the sense that Boobies are horrible on land, and best when in the water. "Have you ever considered training to be a life guard?" He mentioned, thinking how quick the Boobies were in water, and wondering if Ada carried the same skills. At least it'd offer her a secure job, but that doesn't answer the college question.

[Ada Marie Hollys]

"Oh I don't want to be a zoologist or anything like that. I thought about it once when I first found my feathers, but that kind of stuff just isn't for me. " Ada gave a half-hearted grin. Such a sad kind of puppy dog look. No wonder the man was a chocolate lab on the inside. Alan Outlaw certainly was sweet, and seemed to be fairly loyal. He'd certain dealt with his fair share of her shenanigans over the years. A creeping sense of guilt crawled along the back of her neck.

She really ought to buckle down. Start being serious about things. The barest bit of sweat broke out across her forehead. She certainly couldn't run back home to her parents when she graduated. She was the oldest of five - they had more than enough to worry about without her running back home to the nest.

Ada waved a hand about erratically. "I'm a pretty poor swimmer unless I've got my blue socks on. Oh, that's another thing I want to do. Go out and live a solid straight month with my blue socks on."

It was some strange speech pattern she'd adopted. Ada never talk about herself as turning into a Booby unless she was cracking a joke. When Ada actually was actually being sincere, she referred to herself as wearing blue socks. Even Ada herself couldn't exactly say why. It just seemed like the thing to do at the time. Ada rubbed her temple in frustration.

"I guess I always just kinda saw myself bumming around after school, doing this and that, but I guess this and that isn't really a career option. I know I could probably make myself do most anything. But there's a difference in living and living well, ya know? and I'm not really interested in living affluently. I just want a backyard with a good tree and maybe some nearby hiking trails to get lost on. Maybe some place with a lake I can go fishing in. I mean, I pretty much know I'm never gonna live in my natural habitat, so I just gotta make due somewhere." Ada sighed. This had to be the most uncomfortable discussion she'd ever subjected herself to.

"You tell me, Rover. Isn't there just some test I can take or something? One of those aptitude thingies."

[ALAN DUKE OUTLAW]

Mr Outlaw let out a small sigh, options seemed to be wearing thin, He had to get somewhere with Ada, he just needed to figure out how, and the idea just wasn't coming to him. A rather unfortunate mental block. Ada went on to talking about wanting to spend some time in her shift, which was a pretty valid choice, it's always good to expand on such things. The male had to remind himself, if it weren't for what happened to him in his past, the military, his ex-wife, all of that, he probably wouldn't be here. He'd probably have taken some time off, and found some other somewhat 'worthy' job to occupy his time with. Maybe he was rushing Ada, he was just concerned that she wouldn't live up to her full potential.

There must be something he could do, he thought back over the past years, considered Ada's current activities.. 'Track, I wonder if her track coach might have any clue as to what to do to help Ada...' Alan thought, resting his chin on his hand and looking at Ada, trying to formulate some sort of plan. The Senior had referred to him as Rover, causing the counselor to chuckle light heartedly, "Aptitude tests are an option, but I really don't see it helpin'. All it'll do is basically tell you what you should do with your life, and ninety percent of the time people don't even like what the test suggests. I think you're best just bein you blue-footed booby self for now, don't let some test tell ya what to do."

Then, like a train, it hit him, at least the best idea he could come up with for now. "Ada! Y'know what darlin', I got a plan for you. For now, just keep focusin' on school work, and learn as much as ya can about your shift. Because that's a great idea, after high school I want you to go spend some time learning your shift, figuring out your other self will probably help ya on figurin out your own self!" The counselor grinned from ear to ear, coming out of his seat and around the desk to scoop Ada up in a bear hug.

[Ada Marie Hollys]

"And now for something completely unexpected," Ada squeaked around the bear hug. She'd never really thought of Outlaw as being the hugging type, but she supposed in a way it made sense. Lap dog lovin' and all that. There was something like an undignified squawk as she tried to reconfigure herself. Oh damn, she felt so short right now. Her arms only just went all the way around. Happily, he didn't smell like dog.

Come to think of it, this was the first hug she'd gotten all year. Sure she exchanged a friendly hug or two between classmates, but it was usually an awkward one-arm affair. Family hugs didn't count either, because she usually didn't feel so short there. Maybe it was shock or just relief that the meeting was getting cut short, but Ada had to take a moment to catch her breath.

"I guess I'll look in to Fire Lookouts. Maybe there's a volunteer program out in Big Bend or up in Yellowstone. Gotta be somewhere kinda reclusive I can go and just, y'know, strut around in blue socks." She pulled back a bit and gave a chipper grin. No, it wasn't shock or relief, it was puppy dog eyes. Look at me because all Lolita she mused vaguely. Well, what was so bad about it? Crushes were mostly innocent affairs, and it wasn't completely unprecedented. She'd run out of fingers and toes before she finished listing off the girls she knew who had crushes on various teachers.

Ada like to think of herself as being a girl who understood herself very well. But maybe Outlaw had a point - she tended to emotionally separate herself from her shift form, either through diction or ridicule. Maybe it was time to learn to like her entire self.

"Its a good idea, thanks Scruff," she cracked a crooked grin again, loosening her own grip. The hug time was starting to border on extended and she wasn't about to just give away the chase. Answer truthfully when questioned, that was her policy. But just spilling the beans was tactless. One doesn't just dump the barrel of monkeys out all over the desk, willy nilly, as it were.

[ALAN DUKE OUTLAW]

The few short moments Ada was locked in Alan's arms seemed to stretch on forever, which oddly enough, didn't phase the male as being borderline unacceptable. The small dark haired girl fit perfectly in his arms, and he was even able to rest his chin on the top of her head if he wanted. Ada's words came in pieces into his thoughts as she talked with the side of her face pressed against his chest, something about fire lookouts, yellowstone, blue socks. To be truthful, the counselor wasn't really tuned in to what she was saying, he was more lost in thought about the current placement of himself and the student. He cast a quick glance to the door of his office, to either side of the door were tall, narrow windows to which the blinds were closed tightly. He never liked the idea of leaving them open while he was in his office, something like privacy invasion.

Mr. Outlaw smiled briefly, giving the Senior another small squeeze before letting her go, proceeding to smooth out his shirt after. Alan's hand went up and grazed through his hair thoughtfully, "I'll be damned that I didn't think of this sooner, but this'll work out for now 'til we can find ya a college worth lookin' into.." The counselors' voice trailed off slightly, his thoughts back tracking to their short embrace. It probably was severely inappropriate to hug her in such a way, but he wasn't too worried about it. Ada didn't protest, and he rather liked the contact.

The pure, innocent, true contact. It couldn't even compare to the drunken hugs he'd receive from women during the nights out with his pals. But of course, those women didn't really mean anything to Alan at all. Just there for a good time, which he didn't really go after too often, but he'd had his fair share.

"I think things are gonna work out just fine now, miss Ada." The counselor commented, placing a hand on Ada's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze for reassurance. "Now don't be thinkin' you're off the hook completely, just temporarily, and don't think ya ain't gotta come see me still either,' Alan laughed, releasing the girl's shoulder, turning away and facing his desk. The male gathered up the students' file, taking out some of the better college choices and bundling them with a rubber band. Alan smiled to himself, he was feeling really comfortable with Ada there, and he wasn't quite sure what that meant. He just assumed the feeling derived from her being one of his students for nearly four years, he turned back to face the girl and handed her the bundle.

"Take some time and look into these colleges, darlin', you still need to get some ideas into that head of yours.."