>>"Frying security cameras? Why... Is that a normal thing?"

"I'll explain later..." She said. Then got distracted by terrible thoughts.

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. She didn't want to think about it. Kids. Babies. Ew. She didn't even like baby animals. And even if she didn't look old enough, gross!

"Just forget I mentioned anything..." She palmed her forehead. Kids. Ugh. Dammit. "Maybe I should just run out and buy you something... then come back. I don't need to have people staring at me while I drag your scrawny ass around." She shot him a dirty look. "You won't run off, will you? I don't want to have to hunt you down..."

She'd explain later. Well that's annoying, any story involving having to fry security cameras sounds like a good one. "Okay."

Lenna then suggested just going out and buying him clothes, and gave him quite the look while asking if he'd run off. "Where would I go? I don't know this place, and I bet if I were dressed in these clothes," He gestured to the small pile of oversized clothing that was apparently his, "I'd probably be picked up by a policeman so he could take me home or to C...CP... that C something place where they handle kids."

"Well, some kids less smart than you might just run off because they thought i was some sort of kidnapper or something. Just making sure." She crossed her arms.

She looked around, then shrugged her shoulders.

"Welp. I guess I can go get it now if you wait. What sizes do you think you are...?"

Ugh. Shopping for kids. Awful was what it was.

Michael shrugged. Running away from here was still an option, the 'truth' was hardly more plausible than him having been kidnapped. Though, if he did run from Lenna it made more sense to have fitting clothes, he was at least that pragmatic. And besides, he hadn't actually told her he wouldn't leave.

Lenna asked him what size clothes he wore. He wasn't exactly sure. His mom always just bought him clothes whenever she went shopping, he never paid the sizes on them much attention. He wasn't about to tell Lenna that though, no need to poke a bear by referencing she was doing what his mother did. His shoe size he knew so he told her that, the rest he made a guess at drawing on what he could remember his mom saying about it.

"What is there to do here? While you're gone."

Ugh.

'Not touching my stuff.'

Darn, this was frustrating. Sure, he was Michael. As a kid. And might remember all of this. But he was not her Michael. And she did not like poor imitations.

"There are books. And there's beer in the fridge. Don't touch anything that looks important." She paused, then added seriously. "And don't touch my ice cream. Good luck."

And with that and a slam she was out the door. And he was alone.

Books, bleh. Beer, he'd never had it before. Don't touch anything that looks important, how was he to know what was important. Don't touch the ice cream... That's just criminal. With that list of things and direction, Lenna left leaving Michael standing alone in a strange apartment (which is a strange concept to him anyway, he'd only ever lived in a house and didn't know many people that lived in apartments beside college students) in underwear at least ten sizes too large.

It was still cold so he took one of his adult self's shirts and put it on, it swallowed him but served its purpose. That done he wandered about the apartment. It was strange, the electronics were weird, too thin, the buildings out the window were all so tall, and the 'lawns' were mostly just concrete.

Michael found what had to be the thinnest laptop in the world. Sure it had a lot of screen real estate so it was a decent size, but it was so thin, only about an inch or so thick. He opened it, whoever used it last had left it logged in which was good, Michael would have no idea what the password was. The wallpaper was white with a black star, cannon and the words reading, "Come and take it." He searched around the computer, clicking on icons until he found one called 'Firefox' which took him to the internet and loaded some page called Google.

He poked around on Google for a while and then decided to try a beer. He took a Shiner Bock, twisted off the cap and tasted it. It was strange, not quite like anything he'd had before. He drank some more and couldn't understand why people would opt to drink beer so often. He then returned to fiddling with the computer.

Yup. She got looks. Lots of looks. Awkward, friendly, knowing looks. She hated it. Why did people have to assume that just because she was buying kid-sized clothes she was a mother? It was a good thing he hadn't been any younger, or they'd have thought it was a bouncing baby boy and commented upon it. As it was, whenever they asked, she smiled. "Relative," She'd say. "Nephew." Some people thought she was a little young to be having a kid that size and gave her looks. She did her best not to give them single-digit salutes.

Forget what men say about women and clothing stores. She did not take forever buying things. In and out, that was what she played. Bought what she thought would look decent for him, paid, and was gone. Bonus points were awarded if it was at least somewhat close to the specified sizes. Whenever he turned back to normal (and he would turn back), he'd be fine. So she didn't spend too much on getting him nice things to wear. She didn't bother with jackets either. Pants. Underpants. Belt. Shirts. He could wear one of his own jackets. It'd be way too big, but it would keep him warm. And if he disagreed, she'd offer him one of hers. And he'd look like a girl. So there.

All in all, it took her... too long. Or so it felt. An hour? An hour and a half? God.

The key turned in the lock and Lenna stepped back in to her apartment, bags in-hand. She looked around to make sure nothing was on fire.

At least an hour with the power of Google in your hands. You could do anything; research, study, stalk, probably solve world hunger, or be a twelve year old boy who in one day had been exposed to a naked lady and the power of the leading search engine on the planet. That, and Flash games.

Eventually Michael heard the key in the lock and the mouse flew up to the corner to close windows until he was back at the desktop. Once there he reopened Firefox and was navigating to a Flash site as the door opened. A master of stealth, he though. That done he looked up, "Welcome back."

She idly wondered how he even knew what a computer, or the internet were. At his age.

"You'd better not be looking at nudey sites," She growled. Then tried a smile. "Help me with the bags. I got a lot."

Not really 'a lot'. But enough that she wanted to make him carry it. Two bags, some jeans, a pair of shoes. Some shirts. Underpants. She'd hated guessing sizes, but learning officially wasn't on her day plan.

When she was relieved of her burdens, she sat down. "I need a drink."

For a moment Michael had a deer in headlights look. He quickly masked it while standing, she was only saying that. There was no way she would actually know he was. "Okay, an' thank you."

After walking over to Lenna he took the bags from her. They weren't heavy, but they definitely felt like they had some weight to him. He went and found a bedroom on that level, he wasn't searching for it just happened upon it first while looking for somewhere to change. After digging through the bags he picked out some clothes to put on. They were all a close enough to fitting.

Finally dressed in something more than an oversized pair of underwear he stepped out into the rest of the apartment and found Lenna. "Anythin' t' eat?"

"Food," She commented brusquely. She jerked her head towards the kitchen, then, because he probably wouldn't be able to fend for himself, added. "I'll make you a sandwich."

What did kids his age like on their sandwiches? She wasn't sure. She'd never really been a kid his age. Physically, yes, but mentally? She'd never really had a childhood. One never could go wrong with meat and cheese, though. Unless he was lactose intolerant. But he'd never been before. Why start now?

"Here," She forced a plate into his hands a few minutes later. She slapped a glass of water down on the counter by his side. "Eat up. Don't want you starving away to nothing or anything dumb."

Yeah. This was still awkward. And it was getting towards midday and later. She didn't want to consider the night.

Lenna nodded her head to the kitchen, but then seemed to change her mind and announced she'd make him a sandwich! "Sweet!" While Lenna made him a sandwich Michael wandered around the kitchen.

When she was finished with the sandwich she handed it to Michael and fixed him a glass of water. She then said something but he was too busy sitting down and eating the food. Sandwiches weren't his favorite, but meat was meat.

"I've never been to New York before, we should go exploring!"

The woman shrugged.

"Nothing you haven't seen before. And even if it is..."

How did one tell a kid they wanted him to wait until he was older? Seemed like kind of a downer, really. But it was true. Most of the best places to visit in New York were probably better with a strong man on your arm. And she didn't want people thinking she was something she was not. They probably were better off staying inside.

Nothing he hadn't seen before? Michael hadn't seen any of New York, well save this apartment. There were things to see! Also, staying inside all the time is boring! Running around in the sticks is definatly the best way to spend the day.

"I haven't seen anythin' here, well maybe my grown up self did, but not me! I've never seen the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Buildin', the World Trade Center. Or just somewhere I could shoot a bb gun or somethin' fun.

Lenna winced.

Poor kid. He didn't know about anything that had happened in the world beyond his time.

Well, she supposed she could navigate him through most of it. Once he was properly dressed and not drunk. Yeah. She could smell beer somewhere in the house. She'd been joking, but he hadn't realized it. Not that it was important.

"I guess I can show you around a little," She replied weakly.

(( / End Scene. ))