Rhoan Andrews

[Rhoan Andrews]

RHOANMICHAELANDREWS ,

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APEEKBEHINDTHEMAGIC
• the player . the player . the player •
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NAME ! luce
AGE ! old
PREFERED CONTACT METHOD ! pm/im/cbox/carrier pigeon/smoke signal
OTHER CHARACTERS PLAYED ! find the list here

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WANNAGETTOKNOWME
• the basics . the basics . the basics •
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FULL NAME ! Rhoan ( pronounced ‘rowan’ ) Michael Andrews
NICKNAME(S) ! Just Rhoan, thanks
DATE OF BIRTH ! July 10, 1959
DATE OF DEATH ! n/a
RACE ! witch
AFFILIATION ! neutral

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ATASTEOFYOURWITCHCRAFT
• the powers . the powers . the powers •
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POWERS !

FIRST MANIFESTATION !

PROFICIENCY !

[/i] nimble-footed. His taste buds are more advanced than average, which goes some way to explaining his love of food. You’d eat more if you could taste the kaleidoscope of flavours that remain largely a mystery to those without this gift. He also has a wicked sense of smell, often picking up on a person’s scent before seeing them.

[/ul]

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MIRRORMIRRORONTHEWALL
• the appearance . the appearace . the appearace •
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OVERALL APPEARANCE !

FACIAL FEATURES !

STYLE !

PLAYBY ! Josh Duhamel

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ONTHEOUTSIDELOOKINGIN
• the personality . the personality . the personality •
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LIKES !

[/i] )[/b] Heavily influenced by his music teacher mother, ever since he was a small child Rhoan has had a natural affinity for music. It was often the case that the Andrews household was filled by the sound of music. Indeed, some of Rhoan’s earliest memories are of listening to his mother’s sweet alto voice as she sang to him, or watching her nimble fingers as they strummed a guitar or danced across the keys of her baby grand piano. Undoubtedly because music played such a prominent role in his childhood, he became as musically inclined as his mother. She had often told him that he had learned to sing before he could talk, and while that’s not strictly true, people could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. Certainly, it was often commented that young Rhoan never stopped singing, something which had the tendency to drive his friends and family crazy. Perhaps as a natural progression, as he grew older Rhoan became more interested in the music rather than singing, and when he was seven convinced his mother to teach him guitar. Aided by his photographic memory, he picked up on the theory incredibly easily. The practice, however, took a little more time, but his determination saw him soldiering on.

After a while, he stopped taking lessons with his mother, preferring to allow his innate talent develop naturally. As such, he was often found during his teenage years sat in his room, guitar in hand, noodling away as he penned scores of songs. During those years, he turned his hand to other instruments. He learned to play piano, though not as fluently as his mother, as well as drums and violin, but he always returned to guitar. Though he is incredibly modest about it, Rhoan is a very good guitarist. He has a good ear for music, able to pick up play pretty much anything after only hearing it a few times. But it’s his passion for it which had him thinking of making it into a career towards the end of his teenaged years. However, circumstances saw it becoming little more than a pipedream. Still, there are few things in life that Rhoan loves more than music, and it’s something that really shows on the occasions that he shares his gift with others. He believes that a person can’t really sing a song unless they feel it, and as such, whenever he does sing, he injects himself into the words. He also believes that music has healing properties, and will freely admit that it was something that helped him through his divorce.

( THE OCEAN ) Rhoan never feels more like himself than when he’s wandering along the beach, shoes in hand, and damp sand squishing between his toes. He loves to have the sea breeze in his face as he wades through ankle-deep water, the salty smell making him feel instantly at home. Having grown up within walking distance of the beach meant that he spent many days in his youth down on the sand. On the warmer days he would play in the water, even though it was always frightfully cold. Even on the colder days, on the days when a storm ravaged the shoreline, he would venture out there, despite the fact that his lips would start turning blue from exposure to the elements. Though he moved away from the ocean in his teenage years, it’s still a place he feels most comfortable. It doesn’t matter what’s going on in his life, how uncontrollable and erratic everything feels, give him a few hours with a deserted beach and he’ll feel immeasurably better. It’s almost as if the place has a magical way of making his troubles seem more manageable somehow. Though he realises that it’s all in his head, he maintains that everyone needs a place like that. A place they can go to just forget for a while.

( HOME ) As much as Rhoan loves Magic School, his colleagues, friends, and students, as Dorothy Gale once said, there’s no place like home. Perhaps it’s because he had to grow up so quickly with the birth of his son, but he seemed to skip over the rebellious years of his late teens and early twenties. When his old classmates were out night after night painting the town red, he would either be found working overtime at the garage as he struggled to make enough money to make ends meet, or with his wife and baby boy. He simply had no time to wish for the lifestyle his friends had been leading, much less actually live it. While there was a part of Rhoan which wondered if he would grow to resent his family for having to become so responsible so young, he had worried for nothing. Much like in his younger years, home is still the place where Rhoan would rather be. He is a domesticated man, largely though necessity. He can cook moderately well, as long as no one is expecting complicated cuisine, and has long since been adept at handling all of the household items that his father wouldn’t have a clue how to work. Because he spends so much time there, he has worked hard to ensure that it’s warm, inviting, and comfortable, determined to make it a stable and loving place for his son to grow.

( FOOD ) Rhoan has always loved food—any food. Never a fussy eater, it has always been his attitude that he won’t know if he likes something unless he tries it. As such, he would be one of the first to try new and exotic cuisine if offered, even the things which would turn the stomachs of others. It is because he enjoys food so much that at meal times, especially during his teens, he would often have second and third helpings. This isn’t something that’s really changed. But despite his daredevil taste buds, Rhoan much prefers simple, home cooked food. In his eyes, you can’t go wrong with a roast and all the trimmings. Thankfully, because of his active lifestyle, he has a high metabolism to match his ability to eat enough for two. He is grateful for his son keeping him on his toes, for there are times when he fears that he’d not be able to get off the couch otherwise.

[/ul]DISLIKES !

[/i] )[/b] Rhoan is an uncomplicated creature, at least in his eyes. He likes the simple things in life, and an easy life to go along with it. As such, he has what he calls an allergy to drama. He can’t stand it when people make more out of something than there needs to be, the old adage of not making a mountain out of a molehill being something that passes his lips on a regular basis. He doesn’t care for people who try to blow things out of all proportion, just as he has no time for those who seek to stir trouble or those who wish to make everything about them. It doesn’t matter if its pointless arguments, pettiness, or someone provoking a fight, it’s all the same in his view—unnecessary. He is much more likely to cut to the chase if someone brings drama to him, whether in his personal or professional life. He simply won’t allow himself to get dragged into becoming a pawn in someone else’s games.

( DISHONESTY ) While he understands that there are occasions when it’s best to not give the whole truth, Rhoan really cannot abide dishonesty. It’s was okay to convince his young son that it was Santa who shuffled down the chimney on Christmas Eve to deliver an armful of gifts, just like he thought it was alright to tell his wife that she looked wonderful in that purple dress he hated. Rhoan feels that it’s one thing if an untruth is meant to lessen an emotional blow, to preserve innocence, or even to divert a pointless fight over something trivial—aversion to drama, remember?—but it’s quite another to purposely and maliciously mislead another. And therein lays his distaste, for it’s those cruel and spiteful lies that he despises. Though he knows that sometimes it might seem easier to lie, he doesn’t believe that it’s ever the right option when it comes to something that matters. He would much rather be told the truth, even if it hurts, because he’d much rather know where he stands. While not the easiest conversations to have, Rhoan believes that honesty is the only solution in difficult situations.

( SILENCE ) As someone who grew up in a lively household, Rhoan is accustomed to being surrounded by noise of one kind or another. Back in his younger years it tended to be his mother tinkling the ivories, his sister and her record collection, or his brother and his rowdy friends. It didn’t matter what time of day it was, it seemed that there was always something going on in the background. As he grew older and music began to play a significant role in his life, there was barely a moment when he wasn’t playing or listening to it, and as he moved from middle to high school, his mates added to the racket which had become normal to him. As such, unless it’s one of the rare occasions when he is specifically in search of it, silence is one of the things which make Rhoan uncomfortable. He hates the heavy thickness which seems to accompany it, making him tense and fidgety, and will invariably do something to break it.

( HOLDING PEOPLE BACK ) Rhoan has never been a fiercely independent person. He finds comfort in other people, and because he needs to feel connections to those around him, he tends to embark on relationships based in a form of co-dependency. This isn’t strictly reserved for relationships of a romantic nature; many of his friendships have some element of being interdependent. While he’d never thought of it as a problem before, ever since splitting from his wife, he has developed a fear of holding people back. Though he had missed—or ignored—all of the signs for God knows how long, it became increasingly apparent as his marriage wore on that its how his wife felt. It had never been his intention to trap her in a life she didn’t want, and he’d never wanted her to stick around just because she felt she had to. He has grown to dread the idea of feeling like he’s somehow forcing others to be who they’re not and will do most anything to make sure he doesn’t. As such, he can sometimes come across as being indifferent to other, but it’s not the case. He simply doesn’t want history to repeat itself.

[/ul]STRENGTHS !

[/i] )[/b] Rhoan is a naturally protective person. Harbouring a profound compassionate streak, he is the kind of guy who will step in and help someone out should the need arise. He would be the first to step in if he sees one of his kids bullying another as he believes that part of his job as a teacher is to protect those in his care. It’s a job that he takes very seriously, and would risk life and limb to keep them safe. But it’s those close to Rhoan who feel the full force of his protective nature. The few people who mean the world to him are those who can count on him rushing to their defences should they need it, and often when they don’t. A little over-protective at times, he would use any means necessary to shield those he loves from harm, even at personal risk, quite simply because he cannot imagine a life without them would be worth living.

( PASSIONATE ) Though he might not appear so upon first glance, Rhoan is a very passionate person. He firmly believes in giving 110% to the things that he loves. It’s something that is reflected in his work as he strives to make every lesson memorable, and to squeeze the best out of his students that he can. Those lucky enough to hear his music will find that his enthusiasm for everything from the composition to melody to the lyrics is an obvious element of his song writing, as well as the performance itself. But one of the most noticeable outlets for his passion is when he finds that special someone. Granted, he doesn’t have a huge frame of reference. He was with the same woman for thirteen years, after all. But that didn’t stop him from wholly committing to her. To him, she was the only woman in existence, with everyone else blending into the background. Though his first real relationship ended in heartbreak, Rhoan is hopeful that if he’s ever lucky enough to get a second chance, he’ll still devote all that he has to her. Whichever woman's heart he captures deserves nothing less than his whole heart in return.

[/ul]WEAKNESSES !

[/i] )[/b] While there are few people who would classify being loyal as a weakness, Rhoan tends to be loyal to a fault. Since he is only really loyal to those he loves, he tends to only see the good in them, even if there’s very little good to see. This is evident in his relationship with his father, a man who taught Rhoan what he didn’t want to be when he, himself, grew to be a man. Yet through all the heartache he caused his mother, Rhoan still loved him, he still fought to see the positive in him. This stubbornly loyal streak is also apparent in relation to his ex-wife. Even though he’d known on some level for quite some time before his marriage crumbled that it was, for all intents and purposes, over, he’d refused to acknowledge it. Call it cowardice if you will, but Rhoan never gave up the hope that he and Abby would revert back to how they’d been when they’d just been starting out—a time when he’d been convinced that they’d been made for each other.

( THINKS WITH HIS HEART ) While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, Rhoan does tend to let his heart run away with him. An empathetic man, he feels as much as he thinks, but his head rarely gets a look in when it comes to romance. It doesn’t matter that his head is insisting one thing, if his heart is pulling him in a different direction, he can’t seem to fight it, at least not for long. This has led to him being burned in the past, leaving him feeling foolish for not listening to the logical part of himself. Though he believes that the heart wants what the heart wants for a reason, he also believes that it can be fooled into thinking that things are real when they are not, and as such is only setting him up for a fall. Perhaps understandably given his romantic past, this is something that he wishes to avoid at all costs.

( EASILY WITHDRAWN ) When Rhoan is having a tough time coping with things, he tends to withdraw into himself. His sociable streak quickly vanishes and all he wants to do is lock himself away, usually with his guitar, and not have to speak to anyone. The rational part of his mind knows that it doesn’t help the situation, but he can’t help it. Though they are admittedly very rare, there are times when he needs silence and to be alone in order to collect his thoughts if he has any chance of making sense of things. The problem is really in that once he’s slipped into this anti-social mode, it’s exceedingly difficult to get him out of it. It takes a lot of hard work and determination to pull him from her funk. Naturally, his son helps a lot with this. It’s impossible to ignore an overly insistent child. There are times when Rhoan wonders if he’d ever have gotten over Abby leaving if he hadn’t got Isaac to help him through.

[/ul]GOAL !

FEAR !

SECRET !

HAPPIEST MEMORY !

WORST MEMORY !

OVERALL PERSONALITY !

[/i] of his irresponsibility. After all, had it not been for his rampant teenage hormones and carelessness, he wouldn’t have had his son while still a child himself. Nowadays, after the rude awakening to a life of responsibility, Rhoan has grown to become a dependable, hard-working man, doing all he can to offer stability to his young son.

He is a social creature, his desire to be around others going some way to giving reason to his dislike of silence. In social situations, he is open and warm. A happy conversationalist, he enjoys getting to know others, and will take the time to try and understand people. A light-hearted man, he loves to laugh, as evidenced by the smile which is never too far from his face. But even though he likes to be surrounded by people, he isn’t really a fan of the spotlight. He has no desire to be the centre of attention, and would actually try to divert it should it settle upon him. It’s not that he’s shy. Being bashful hasn’t ever really been a problem for Rhoan. He simply prefers to take a backseat, giving others the opportunity to take centre stage. It explains why he feels that teaching is the right vocation for him as he’s able to help others shine without thrusting himself into the limelight. It’s also something that is apparent in his music. Though a talented musician, one who had the potential to carve out a decent career given the chance, he doesn’t often share his gift with others. He isn’t quite sure if this is because he’s afraid of the criticism which might come his way or because he needs to have something that he keeps just for himself, but anyone who has had the pleasure of watching Rhoan play is clearly someone he trusts—someone to whom he isn’t afraid to show the root of what makes him who he is.

In recent years, Rhoan has become more cautious and insecure than he had ever been before. Following the breakdown of his marriage, he is understandably careful when it comes to relationships. His wife leaving devastated him, and as such he is wary about who he lets into his heart—or even who he lets into his life. After all, it’s not only his own well-being he has to be concerned for. He can’t allow anymore disruption to his son’s life, and Isaac will always be his main priority. It’s for this reason that he tends to hide his emotions as best he can, even though he knows that his eyes often betray him. If he is attracted to someone, he simply cannot veil it well. While he might have been gung-ho about relationships as a young man, nowadays he is undoubtedly more restrained. This has as much to do with his inexperience when it comes to women as to do with his need to protect himself from being hurt again. Though he is not ashamed to admit it, he has only been with one woman his whole life. That adds a whole new level of pressure when it comes to throwing himself back into the dating game, and it’s a minefield that he’s still struggling to navigate.

Rhoan is strong-willed, determined to live his life to the best of his ability. So life has thrown him a few curveballs? So what? Who hasn’t had to deal with one upheaval or another? Though he has undoubtedly made some questionable choices in the past, he is the kind of man who always strives to do the right thing, even if the results are a little hit and miss. Fair minded and generous, he makes a strong ally, willing and able to defend those he loves to the ends of the earth, and is considerate and loving to the special people in his life. By contrast, he is also stubborn and wilful, and will hold a grudge should you cross him. If a person betrays his trust, it’s not something that is easy to win back. Impetuous in his younger years, it’s something that has dulled somewhat over time, and yet hasn’t vanished altogether. If his buttons are pushed just right, he is liable to explode. Hot-tempered, he’s had his fair share of battles in the past, but thankfully has a relatively long fuse.

He tries to be tactful and diplomatic, though has his moments when it appears as if he’s trying to swallow both feet at once. He has learned over the years to become self-reliant, though it was with a certain level of reluctance. Perhaps because of his youthful irresponsibility, he has always tended to be dependent on others. However, that all changed when his son was born and he was forced to stand on his own two feet. His independence is something that’s even more apparent now that he is his son’s primary guardian. After all, it’s Rhoan’s job to teach his son how to be a man, something he treats with the utmost gravity. He can’t do that if he’s running to others and begging for help. While he’s not fundamentally against asking for assistance should he need it, he tends to only seek the aid of others as a last resort. Before the point where he concedes defeat, he will stubbornly soldier on with the faith that he’ll reach the end on his own. Rhoan understands that in asking for help he isn’t admitting weakness, for everyone needs a helping hand from time to time. However, since his marriage collapsed, he has harboured a few trust issues and so doesn’t like for others to see that he struggles with coping with his lot in life on a regular basis. He is simply optimistic that everything will work out in the end, albeit at the same time as worrying that he’s not doing things right.

[/ul]

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IT'SALLSPELLSANDPOTIONS
• the education . the education . the education •
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FAVOURITE CLASS !

LEAST FAVOURITE CLASS !

SUBJECT BEST AT !

SUBJECT WORST AT !

FINAL GPA !

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JUSTMAKINGMYOWNWAY
• the career . the career . the career •
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POSITION HELD !

TIME IN OFFICE !

CIRCUMSTANCES !

PRIOR CAREERS !

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I'MGONNACALLTHISHOME
• the homelife . the homelife . the homelife •
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HOMETOWN ! Newport, Rhode Island
MOTHER ! Lillian Andrews ( nee Bowers ), 68, witch, elemental manipulation ( air and water ) and telepathy
FATHER ! Maurice Andrews, 59, witch, levitation and electrokinesis
SIBLINGS ! Evan Andrews, 36, witch, photographic reflexes and geokinesis ( brother )
Laurel McKinley, 30, witch, chlorokinesis, empathy, and accelerated healing ( sister )
SPOUSE ! Abigail Stanton, 32, witch, psychometry and astral projection ( ex-wife )
CHILDREN ! Isaac Andrews, 13, witch, telekinesis and omnilinguism
OTHER SIGNIFICANT FAMILY !
Grant McKinley, 31, mortal ( brother-in-law )
Pippa McKinley, 5, witch, only danger sense has manifested thus far ( niece )
Elena McKinley, 3, witch, no powers manifested yet ( niece )

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I'LLTELLYOUMYSTORY
• the history . the history . the history •
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It was on a sunny summer’s day in 1959 that Lillian and Maurice Andrews greeted their second child. It seemed fitting that following a difficult pregnancy, fraught with regular hospital visits and several medical scares, it had been an equally difficult labour. Lillian had been in childbirth for twenty-six long and excruciating hours before their baby boy finally put in an appearance. Still, for as exhausted as she’d been, Lillian had welcomed her newborn with no less love and affection that she’d greeted his brother four years before, and it was as she’d cradled his tiny form in her arms that Lillian decided to call him Rhoan. He soon proved to be a happy baby. Much quieter than Evan had been, a child who’d seemingly cried all the time and for no reason other than to make noise, little Rhoan had been quite content to lie in his crib and watch the world around him. Indeed, it was a trait which followed him as he grew older, with him being happy to just be around the people he loved.

Rhoan grew into a cheerful child. Something that would go on to form the core of who he was, he found pleasure in the simple things. An uncomplicated boy, he loved nothing more than to sit with his mother as she sang to him, mesmerised by the music she played. By the time he was old enough to talk, he would sing along with her—his versions of songs, at least—and pretty soon he was singing all the time. It didn’t matter where he was or who he was with, if the mood struck him, he would burst into song—and the mood struck him a lot. So much, in fact, that aside from his mother who actively encouraged his musical side, his incessant singing drove his father and brother insane. In his childhood, he often got into arguments with the other Andrews men because of his tendency to sing or hum to himself at all times of the night and day. It didn’t help that he often did so without even realising it, causing Evan to believe that Rhoan was only being a pain in his backside in order to provoke a fight.

As a youngster, Rhoan idolised his big brother. Four years his senior, by the time he was old enough to keep up, he would follow Evan around like a little lost puppy. In fact, he’d be so close behind that Lillian often referred to Rhoan as Evan’s shadow. While there were some occasions when Evan didn’t seem to mind, for the most part he hated having his kid brother tagging along wherever he went. The annoyance that Evan felt increased ten-fold by the time Laurel was old enough to walk, for then he had both of his younger siblings stuck to him like glue. Of course, by this time Evan was eight and had friends of his own. Whenever his schoolmates would visit, they would hide out in the boy’s room, leaving the four year old Rhoan with only his two year old sister for company. He didn’t mind too much, even though Laurel wasn’t nearly as much fun as Evan. Still, that didn’t stop Rhoan from trying to infiltrate his brother’s group of friends, often leading to him becoming upset when Evan shut him out.

During this time, the only thing which would calm a crying Rhoan was music. It didn’t matter the magnitude of the fight the brothers had just had, sit the youngster down beside the piano and he’d happily watch as his mother’s nimble fingers danced across the keys, filling the house with all of the melodies which spoke to him. Rhoan had been so enraptured by it that Lillian began to encourage him to join her as she played. Though he only hit the odd key here and there, it had been enough to keep Rhoan glued to her side whenever she played. This, along with the radio which was rarely switched off, became the source of Rhoan’s passion for music. He simply couldn’t get enough of it, immersing himself in all genres and finding the beauty in most. While his mother favoured classical and jazz, Rhoan became more attracted to folk, blues, and rock, finding that they reflected his passionate nature with their full, rich sounds. Around the age of seven, Rhoan had no longer been satisfied merely listening to the music he loved, or just singing along; he wanted to play. It hadn’t taken much to convince his mother, a high school music teacher, to show him how to play guitar. While he got off to a slow start, frustrated with himself for his inability to play as well as his mother, Rhoan had the determination to see that he didn’t quit and by the time he reached his ninth birthday, he could play his guitar well.

It was around this time that Rhoan, who had been blissfully unaware of the secret lives of his parents, began to see the cracks in their marriage. As the senior partner in a pharmaceutical company, Rhoan had grown used to his father not being at home much. It seemed that his job kept him away from his family due to meetings the country over. His mother had always seemed to be accepting of the situation, but it was when Maurice had been promoted to Vice CEO that the nine year old began to see what their marriage was really like. His father began to spend more and more time away, sometimes disappearing for days at a time. Though Lillian always tried to cover her sadness with a smile when one of her children asked after daddy, Rhoan could see that she wasn’t nearly as happy as she tried to portray. He hadn’t understood it at the time, but he’d known that something had been wrong. He got a taste of just how wrong later that year when Maurice came home after being MIA for four days. As soon as he’d walked through the door, Lillian had ushered the children upstairs, instructing them to play in their rooms until bedtime. Partly curious for what was happening downstairs and partly eager to see the father he’d missed, Rhoan had snuck out of his room. He can remember sitting on the stairs, hidden by shadows, and listening as his parents fought. Though he hadn’t understood a lot of what had been said, as any child would, he’d instinctively known that it was a bad sign.

That night became the first of many when Rhoan and his siblings would be forced to listen to their parents fight. They all dealt with it in their own ways, and as he grew older, Rhoan coped by throwing himself into his music. He found that it was the only way in which he could express the hurt and confusion and anger that he felt. He began writing his own songs, playing them over and over in a bid to drown out the sound of his parents fighting, and was his escape from what became the normal atmosphere at home. As he grew into his teenage years, Rhoan would still creep downstairs to eavesdrop on his folks under cover of invisibility. It was only then that he began to understand the core of his parent’s problems. He’d been upset to learn that his father often took lovers on the side. Rhoan didn’t understand—not only why his father would cheat on his mother, but why his mother would put up with it. In his eyes, his mother was a great woman, caring and loving and always quick to smile. Even as a child he’d known that she deserved better than what his father put her through. He can remember confronting her about it around the time he was fourteen, asking her why she stayed when he made her so miserable. She’d told him that she’d promised to love him forever, and that he’d understand what that meant one day. It’s something that has stuck with him ever since.

It was in the fall of 1973 that Rhoan made the switch from mortal junior high to Magic School. His mother had been contacted by the school several years before, offering the children places at the prestigious institution. Evan had recently graduated from the place when Rhoan embarked upon his freshman year, hardly believing that after four years of listening to tales of the place, he was finally on his way there himself. He took his first steps into Magic School with nervous anticipation, unsure of what to expect. He’d thought the place would be vastly different from his previous schools and so had been surprised to find that, aside from not having to hide his magical ability, it was pretty much the same. The kids still divided into cliques, meaning that the popular kids still shunned him. He figured he wasn’t rich or spoiled enough to be one of them. The teachers still complained that he didn’t pay enough attention, and as in the years before at his mortal schools, his report cards often stated that Rhoan had the potential to do well but was too easily distracted.

As his freshman year progressed, he found himself a group of friends. Though small in numbers, they became inseparable, doing everything together. For the first time in his life, Rhoan felt as though he’d found a place where he truly belonged. At his other schools, he’d been forced to be a watered down version of himself, but he supposed that’s what happened when you had to hide a core part of who you were. But at Magic School, he could be himself. More than that, people would accept him for exactly who he was. He couldn’t have been happier. Though things at home hadn’t really improved any, his parents still falling into regular fights, like the rest of the family Rhoan had simply accepted it as the way it was. He had learned that he was powerless to stop it, and since his mother seemed determined to soldier through, he had to suck it up and deal with it. The only difference was that now he had friends he could rely on. They were there to offer him a shoulder to lean on when he needed it, as well as to offer him an escape when things at home got a little too much to bear.

By the time he reached his sophomore year, several of Rhoan’s friends had started to date. At the time, he’d been far too into his music to really pay all that much attention to girls, earning him a few jibes from his buddies. He didn’t really care; he had dreams of becoming an international music superstar and so didn’t have time for girls. For as clichéd as it sounds, his guitar had helped him through some of the more upsetting arguments his parents had shared, and because he had no other way of expressing the things that listening to his folks fight stirred in him, by the time he hit fifteen, he’d penned a few dozen songs. It was then that he had the brilliant idea to start a band. Along with two of his schoolmates, neither of whom was particularly adept with their chosen instruments, Rhoan formed a nameless band—nameless because they could never decide upon what to call themselves. They spent hours practicing in Rhoan’s garage, making noise as opposed to music, but that didn’t stop them securing a couple of gigs. Two, to be exact—one at a house party that one of his brothers friends had thrown, and one at an open mic night at a local club. Both ended in disaster, and while he can look back and laugh now, he’d been horrified at the time. He’d simply never imagined what being booed off stage would feel like.

It was as he reached his junior year that Rhoan started to catch up with his friends and pay more attention to girls. He had first met Abigail Stanton when they’d both been in their freshman year. Though they had little to do with one another, for she clung to her group of friends as fiercely as he clung to his, by the time he started to really notice girls, she became one of the first that he noticed. There was no way he couldn’t, really. With her wild, unruly waterfall of burnished gold curls and gentle green eyes which all but overtook her elfin face, she was easily the prettiest girl in school, at least to Rhoan. He and his friends had watched her grow from a gangly, awkward teen into a beautiful young woman, and before long he found that his eyes wandered to her entirely unbidden. It took a while for him to build up the nerve, but after a couple of months of casual conversations, Rhoan asked her on a date. He’d been expecting her to say no, especially since he wasn’t the only guy in school to notice how attractive she’d become, and so had been delighted when she’d accepted. Their first date had been a simple one—dinner and a movie. He’d spent all of the money he’d earned mowing lawns over the summer on a fancy Italian restaurant, but it had been worth it. They’d talked and laughed their way through the meal, and had been much too busy making out at the back of the cinema to pay the movie much attention. Counting it as the greatest night of his life thus far, by the time he’d walked her home, Rhoan had been smitten.

After that, he and Abby became inseparable. They spent every waking moment together, practically living in each other’s pockets. She would visit him and they’d sit out on the beach near his home, huddled together under the stars. It was there that they’d talk of their life together outside of school, when they had no restrictions, no curfews, and could be with each other all of the time. He would visit her home under the pretence of studying, but not unlike most teenaged couples, they spent most of their time making out. As a result, it was hardly surprising that their grades began to slip. Homework simply didn’t rank as a priority, not when compared to her. It was as if they’d each become the centre of the other’s universe, everything revolving around the two of them, everything else becoming insignificant. He would often take her someplace quiet, somewhere they could be alone, and along with his trusty guitar, he would sing to her the songs that he’d written about her. In Abby, Rhoan had been sure that he’d found the part of himself that had been missing, even though he hadn’t realised beforehand that he’d been without it. He was so very much in love with her that he hadn’t been able to imagine his life without her

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[Rhoan Andrews]

Rhoan and Abby had dated throughout the rest of their junior year and well into their senior year. It raised a few eyebrows among his friends, all of whom seemed to prefer flitting from one girl to the next as opposed to maintaining a steady relationship. As was to be expected from teens, especially when rampant adolescent hormones came into play, he and Abigail began a sexual relationship. They were mostly careful, sure to take precautions, but not always. Rhoan maintains that everyone has been there, so caught up in the moment that all logic and reasoning goes out of the window, and he is certainly no exception. Though it only happened a few times, as he learned the hard way, it only takes once for accidents to happen. It took Abby three months to confess that all was not well. During those months, she’d become irritable and argumentative. While they’d only really had petty spats before, they suddenly found themselves embroiled in full-scale arguments, much like those he’d heard from his parents over the years. Just as it had reached the point where he’d been sure that they were going to split, she dropped the bombshell on him—she was pregnant.

Stunned, it had taken days for the news to sink in. Overcome by fear and confusion, for he had no idea what they were going to do, Rhoan had made it clear that they had to tell their parents. Abby had been afraid, sure that her folks would shun her for getting pregnant at seventeen, but Rhoan had sworn to stand beside her. He didn’t really see that he had a choice. After all, she hadn’t gotten pregnant alone, and as he frequently reminded her, he loved her more than anything. On the day that he and Abby sat their parents down and told them about the situation, Rhoan had never been more nervous. He hadn’t known what to expect. Would they be angry? Ashamed? Would they insist that Abby take care of the problem? It had been whirling in his mind for days, driving him crazy as he ran through scenario after scenario and trying to figure out how he would respond to all of them. But for as ready as he thought he’d been, nothing could prepare him for the look of sheer disappointment on his mother’s face. As she peered at him through misty eyes, he’d known that he’d let her down. It made him feel awful, but it was nothing compared to how Abby’s parents reacted. They had been horrified, throwing accusations that Rhoan had somehow pressured their little girl into doing things that she hadn’t wanted to do. Already scared, it had made Rhoan defensive, and in what was definitely an unwise move, began to argue with her father. Tempers flared and with everyone’s patience becoming frayed, Abby and her parents had left.

A few days passed and Abby didn’t show up for school. People naturally asked after her and Rhoan had lied and told them that he didn’t know what was wrong. He just hadn’t been ready for his secret to become public knowledge. Those days had been long and torturous, and he spent much of them with a cold knot twisting in his stomach. He hadn’t seen Abby and she wouldn’t return his calls which made him question everything. Was this the end? He’d been ready to march over to her house and demand to see her when he’d received a call from Abby’s mother. She invited Rhoan and Lillian over, promising that all they wanted to do was talk. It was with no small amount of reluctance that he faced his girlfriend’s parents again, sure that it would deteriorate into an argument in no time. However, they’d all been calm. No raised voices, no false accusations, just civilised conversation. It’s how Rhoan had known that Mr. Stanton had been serious when he’d insisted that no grandchild of his was going to be raised in a single parent household. It had taken a few moments for Rhoan to understand what that meant, and had been a shock to his system as it sunk in. He’d wanted Rhoan to marry his daughter. It had been his automatic reaction to say no. He was only eighteen; he wasn’t ready for marriage. But what choice did he have? He knew that he loved Abby, and now that she was carrying his child, something else he hadn’t been ready for, he knew that he should do the right thing.

After living out the remainder of their senior year being the couple who everyone pointed to and whispered about, Rhoan and Abby graduated in June of ’78. In the first week of July, they were married, having a small ceremony when Abby was seven months into her pregnancy. The whole time leading up to the wedding, Rhoan had suffered serious doubts. Like any guy in his position would be, he’d been terrified. In one moment of carelessness, his whole life had been mapped out for him. All of the dreams that he and Abby had shared were gone, replaced by a vivid new reality that neither was ready for. He knew, in his heart of hearts, that he didn’t want to marry Abby, at least not so young. But the insistence of Abby’s parents for him to do the right thing, a sentiment which earned his own mother’s support, and under the weight of his own conscience, Rhoan had chalked all of his doubts and insecurities down to cold feet. But as their wedding day rolled around and Rhoan watched his bride walk down the aisle, everything seemed to click into place. Yes, he was scared, and no, he didn’t know how he was going to raise a child, but it was okay. He loved Abby and he would love his child, and that was the only thing that mattered.

After the wedding, Rhoan continued to live at home. It was hard being away from his wife, who’d remained at her parent’s house, but it gave Rhoan the incentive to work harder to scrape together enough cash to get a place of their own. A friend of the family had offered him a job right out of school, and despite the fact that it was in a garage, Rhoan had taken it. He knew next to nothing about cars, but it’s times like that when his eidetic memory comes in very handy. For a couple of weeks, he studied manuals and watched the other mechanics as they worked. He picked the job up relatively easily and offered to work overtime practically everyday. It was on one such day that the phone call came, the one that Rhoan had equally been anticipating and dreading—Abby had gone into labour. Frantic, he’d upped and left work, speeding to the hospital with his heart racing so quickly that he could barely breathe. He’d been right by his wife’s side, holding her hand and telling her how much he loved her as their child was born, a boy they named Isaac. He’d been so small and looked so fragile that Rhoan had been afraid to hold him. But as the nurse handed him the tiny bundle, all of the fear had slipped away and the only thing left in its place was pure, unconditional love. In that moment, holding his son lovingly in his arms, he’d known that his life had found a new purpose, and that he’d protect his son with all that he had.

A few days later, Abby and Isaac were allowed to go home, and Rhoan joined them. He moved into the Stanton’s house so that he could be near to his family and so that he could care for his son. Mrs. Stanton had taught him how to change diapers and how to bathe the baby, how to tell when Isaac’s cries were because he was hungry or because he just wanted to be held, and he took to fatherhood like the proverbial duck to water. He loved holding his boy, rocking him back and forth in his arms as he sang the baby to sleep. Unlike some who might’ve found themselves in his position, Rhoan didn’t see any of it as a chore. It was more than just his responsibility or duty to take care of his son; it was all he really wanted to do. Rhoan took a little time off work and spent hours on end sat beside his son’s crib, watching him sleep and making silent vows to be the best father that he could be.

The first few months after Isaac was born were hard to say the very least, but they soon fell into a routine of sorts. Sleepless nights followed by twelve hour days at work started to take their toll on Rhoan, but he never complained. He had a beautiful wife and son he adored, had a roof over his head and food in his belly. He didn’t see how he’d have cause for complaint. Despite severe lack of sleep, he tried to help out with Isaac as much as he could because he wanted to squeeze in as much time with the baby as possible. It would be just over a year later that, thanks to the help his parents and in-laws gave, he and Abby could finally afford a place of their own. Late in the summer of ’79, they moved into a small, two-bedroom apartment across town from the Stantons. It wasn’t anything fancy, the young couple only able to afford the basics, but they made it into a loving home in which to raise their son.

When Isaac was two, Abby took a part time job as a cashier at the local supermarket. She had always had such big dreams and so it was a far cry from what she’d wanted to do with her life, but they had been happy. Rhoan had been sure of it. They fell into an easy routine and made many good memories, the kind that will stay with him always. Even though they didn’t have much by way of money, and often had to struggle to make ends meet, Rhoan counted himself as a rich man. He had a wife he loved more than ever and a son he would die for. As long as he had that, as far as he was concerned he was the wealthiest man on earth.

It was in 1982 that Abby became restless. Isaac was four and had recently started attending kindergarten at Magic School’s and so after some lengthy discussions, she enrolled in the local community college and studied to become a legal secretary. Because she’d had to quit her job, it fell to Rhoan to be the sole breadwinner for the household. Since his job at the garage wouldn’t cover their living expenses, he took a second job. Working as a weekend bartender at a local bar had been his best option as it meant he could still work his usual twelve hour days at the garage and spend week nights with his son while Abby studied. It was a job that he enjoyed. Though he still played with his guitar on a semi-regular basis, he was often too tired to give his music any real time. As such, being surrounded by music a few nights a week offered Rhoan the opportunity to indulge one of his passions while still providing for his family. There was also a part of him which appreciated that working at the bar was the only way that he could experience the rebelliousness he would’ve lived through in the years following graduation. After all, when his friends had been out painting the town red, he’d been reading his son bedtime stories. He’d also be lying if he said that he didn’t enjoy the attention that women gave him. A friendly guy who is always quick with a smile, it wasn’t uncommon for him to be offered phone numbers. If he encountered one of the more forward women, there were even times he was offered casual hook-ups. Though some of the women were undoubtedly attractive, Rhoan never took any of them up on their offer. Instead, he took pleasure in informing them that he was a happily married man, flashing his wedding band along with a bright smile for emphasis.

For a little over a year, Rhoan worked the two jobs while Abby studied, until she took a job with a prestigious law firm in Connecticut. Because the job was out of State, the young family moved, trading one small apartment for another. Rhoan found employment with an advertising company. Being cooped up in the same tiny cubicle day after day meant that it wasn’t a job he that he particularly enjoyed, but since he worked on a commission basis and he was good at his job, he stuck it out. Within the year, thanks to their joint income, they could afford to move. Buying his first house was a proud moment for Rhoan as he finally felt like he was providing for his family. They moved into a quaint little house in a modest neighbourhood, blending in with the other young families who lived there. They had more money than they’d ever had before, could afford bigger, better, and nicer things and Isaac wanted for nothing. His family was happy and healthy and settled in a place they all loved. Everything had seemed perfect.

But nothing stays perfect forever. It was in the spring of 1987 that Rhoan’s life changed. Though he’d felt the distance that had slowly been stretching between him and Abby for some time, he hadn’t wanted to face it. He’d ignored the fact that they no longer shared a physical relationship, convincing himself that they were just experiencing a rough patch. After all, they’d been married for almost a decade and nothing stayed fresh and exciting forever. But as the months rolled on, they had less and less contact. They barely talked, conversation running dry when they found that they had nothing to say to one another, and it was with a sinking heart that Rhoan realised that they had become more like friends than lovers. But to him it didn’t matter if it felt like they were just two people who lived in the same house. She was his wife and the mother of his son, and that meant something. It was as he thought about the distance he couldn’t help but feel that he recalled his mother’s words from years before. She’d told him that he’d one day understand why she’d put up with her philanderer husband all those years, and now he did. When Rhoan had married Abby, he had promised to love her forever. It was a promise he intended to keep. However naïve it might’ve been, he had faith that things would work out, that they’d somehow return to how they used to be.

Abby, however, had other ideas. Late one evening, after several hours of not talking, she told him plainly that she wanted to leave. He’d listened, stunned, as she’d told him that she wasn’t in love with him and hadn’t been for a long time. She’d told him that she felt as though she had been trapped in a life that she hadn’t asked for or wanted, and needed to get out. He’d known things had been less than perfect, but he hadn’t thought they’d been quite that bad. They’d both had to make sacrifices, a fact he well knew, but he had never wanted her to feel like he’d been holding her back. Over the course of several hours, Rhoan had tried his d**nedest to convince Abby to stay, but she’d made up her mind. It didn’t matter the promises he made, swearing to fix the things that were broken. It didn’t matter how much he told her he loved her and needed her, he’d had to watch as she packed a suitcase, telling him that she wouldn’t stay in a loveless marriage. It was an emotional night, his heart breaking not only for himself, but also for Isaac as Abby kissed their son goodbye and left.

The days which followed were dark. Rhoan felt completely at a loss, unsure of what he should do. His whole world had been turned upside down and felt as though someone had punched a hole in his chest and ripped out his heart, He had been too devastated to leave the house and so simply moved around in a stunned daze, his mind whirling ceaselessly as he tortured himself with all of the things he wished he’d have done. The things which he believed might have saved his marriage. The hardest part had been explaining to Isaac, who was nine at the time, where his mother was. He hadn’t known what to tell him, mainly because he’d been hopeful that Abby would come back. He’d been sure that she needed her family as much as he did, but when the divorce papers arrived a couple of weeks later, reality began to set in. She wasn’t coming back. Because he had a tendency to beg her to come home, Abby would only see Rhoan during supervised meetings with her attorney. It didn’t stop him from trying to remind his wife of all of the good times they’d shared, of the little boy she’d left when she’d walked out. Nothing worked, and in early 1989, their divorce was finalised. They’d both wanted custody, but Abby hadn’t wanted to be Isaac’s primary guardian, feeling that she needed to live the life she believed she’d missed out on. Rhoan couldn’t understand her reasoning, and became irate with her for her lack of responsibility, but didn’t fight her on her choice. Instead, he took guardianship of their son, something he would’ve fought for anyway, and agreed that Isaac would spend every other weekend with his mother.

Still reeling from the loss and trying to piece his life back together, Rhoan decided that he would move home. Part of him wanted to put some distance between himself and Abby, and part of him needed to be around his family during his healing process. But mostly he just couldn’t continue to live in a house that he’d shared with her. Being around constant reminders of the life he’d once had proved too much for him to bear. So with the intention of giving himself and his son a fresh start, Rhoan moved back to Rhode Island, finding a small house not far from where his folks lived. Once again becoming the sole breadwinner for his family, Rhoan realised that he needed to find a better paid job. He couldn’t afford to take two jobs again, feeling that Isaac needed to have the stability of one parent being around all the time after the upheaval of the divorce and subsequent move. He needed a job with roughly the same hours as Isaac’s schooling, because it was unlikely he’d be able to afford a sitter five days a week. As such, he figured that since Isaac spent most of his time at Magic School, it was where his job hunting should start.

The following day, Rhoan enquired about any open vacancies at the school he’d once attended himself, willing to take most anything so he could be near to his son while working to support him at the same time. He’d been disappointed to find that there was nothing, but had resigned himself to the fact that it had been worth a shot. Since he was good at it, even though it drove him up the wall, he took another job with another ad agency. He worked hard, earning a decent wage, and while they’d had to downsize a lot, provided a stable home for his son. He would still enquire on a semi-regular basis about vacancies at Magic School, though never really expected for anything to crop up. It’s why he’d been so overjoyed when he’d learned that the old potions teacher had been scheduled to retire at the end of ’88. Rhoan wasted no time in applying and when the headmistress invited him for an interview a month or so later, he’d been stuck by the same nervous anticipation he’d felt all those years ago before taking his first steps into the school. Rhoan left that first interview feeling that it had gone well. He was proven right when he was invited for a second meeting a couple of weeks later. That was all the incentive he needed to chase the job with everything he had. He believes it was because of his determination to succeed, his need to give Isaac the stability that he deserved, that Rhoan was offered the position.

The summer flew by and before he really realised it, Rhoan was embarking on his first day of school all over again. He expected to feel more anxious than he had, but he’d been too happy to feel much else. After the upset of his divorce, his life was finally coming back together. Though the first few months had their ups and downs as he tried to find his footing, he took to his job with enthusiasm—and it’s a job that he loves. Much like he did back in his teenage years, he feels as though he’s back in a place he truly belongs. He strives to be a good teacher. Remembering all of the boring lessons he had to endure as a kid, he tries to make his classes as memorable as possible. He’s not as strict as some of his colleagues. He doesn’t mind a bit of chatting in his classroom, but equally doesn’t let the class get away with murder. He can have a laugh and a joke up to a point, but has no problem in laying down the law if needed. This makes him kind of hit and miss with his students, but that’s fine. He’s never needed to be liked by everyone. Rhoan gets along with most of the people he works with, but has only found friendship with a few. Perhaps understandably following his divorce, he’s still harbouring a few trust issues, and while his reluctance to connect on any real level with others is mostly reserved for relationships of a romantic nature, he has been known to withdraw from everyone at the times when he finds himself struggling with life. It’s hard, raising a son mostly alone, but he knows that he has the support of his friends and family. And while his life isn’t the most exciting or adventurous, he’s glad that he’s moved past his failed marriage enough that he’s still living it. He has his son, a good home, and a job he loves. For now, that’s all he would ask for.

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ANDALLTHINGSMUSTEND
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Really?

This application was brought to you by the power of determination and lots of Carrie Underwood. d**n you, Michi.

sorry to whoever has to read this. :/

[SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION]

ACCEPTED!

Luce. Love. All I have to say. : )