((Continued from Cosmonaut))
BZZZZZP!
Sapphire sighed and took a few steps backwards, and went through the doors of the library again.
BZZZZZP!
"Mrs. Collins, the unscanned books
scanner
thing is broken again
And the place is deserted?"
Sapphire helped herself through the scanners and through the ultra-neat desks and computers. It was true, no-one in sight. She walked to the back of the room where the librarian's office was to notice a makeshift paper sign on the door in fancy letters: Out for Lunch.
Oh well. It's not like I'm going to trash the place or anything.
She navigated her way to the fiction section, occasionally stopping to look at the spine of a random book. So many books, all with their own little story to tell. Running her index finger down the trail of colors, she finally settled on one.
Q&A, hey? This sounds interesting...
Gently pulling it out, she walked over to one of the computer terminals and sat down, typing in her login name and password. While the system started it's mandatory 5 minute systems check during start up, she began to read.
I have been arrested. For winning a quiz show...
Q&A
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landlocked*
- Posts: 99
- Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2018 9:03 am
No matter how much she rubbed, the stain just wouldn't come out. Those mustard packets they gave at the cafeteria were seriously explosive. With one last futile wipe, Abigail finally sighed and gave up as she continued to walk down the hallway towards the library. All right, so maybe part of it was her own fault - she had been in a bit of a rush to finish her fries so she had more time to study, after all. But still! Her favorite sweater! As she turned the corner of the hallway and opened the door to the library, she did her best to hold her books in a way that would cover the yellow stain up. Hopefully it would come out in the wash... That's what she got for eating her fries with mustard.
"Hello, Mrs. Collins?" Abigail called, loudly enough to be heard but quietly enough so as not to disturb anybody. "It's Abigail, are you-"
BZZZT!
The scanner that made sure books were checked out buzzed, causing Abigail to jump slightly, dropping her books and once again showing off the yellow blob at the bottom of her sweater. Was it broken again? When the librarian didn't come running the way she normally would, however, Abigail figured Mrs. Collins must be on her lunch break - she usually was around this time.
Well, she knows me, I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I just did some research while she's out.
As she began to patrol the shelves looking for books on Hawthorne to start flipping through for her book report, she noticed another student seated at one of the computers. Glancing over, she realized it was Sapphire McLeod, someone whose jewelery Abigail had purchased on more than on occasion. As she crossed the room, she tapped Sapphire on the shoulder and spoke to her while pulling another book from a nearby shelf.
"Hey, I'm not the only one lame enough to spend time in the library during lunch! What's up?"
"Hello, Mrs. Collins?" Abigail called, loudly enough to be heard but quietly enough so as not to disturb anybody. "It's Abigail, are you-"
BZZZT!
The scanner that made sure books were checked out buzzed, causing Abigail to jump slightly, dropping her books and once again showing off the yellow blob at the bottom of her sweater. Was it broken again? When the librarian didn't come running the way she normally would, however, Abigail figured Mrs. Collins must be on her lunch break - she usually was around this time.
Well, she knows me, I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I just did some research while she's out.
As she began to patrol the shelves looking for books on Hawthorne to start flipping through for her book report, she noticed another student seated at one of the computers. Glancing over, she realized it was Sapphire McLeod, someone whose jewelery Abigail had purchased on more than on occasion. As she crossed the room, she tapped Sapphire on the shoulder and spoke to her while pulling another book from a nearby shelf.
"Hey, I'm not the only one lame enough to spend time in the library during lunch! What's up?"
BZZZP!
Damn thing's broken again. Does the school spend their ENTIRE budget on the sports teams?
Alexander Cann passed through the doors of the Bayview library. He, of course, usually didn't see any more people at the library during lunch. He had guessed that he was the only one who actually enjoyed leaving lunch early to go and read. Hell, some of the others at his table even joked that he could be a Major Leuge Eating champion because of how fast he eats his food.
He made a quick glance at the librarian's office.
Out for lunch, eh? Alex figured that Mrs. Collins could afford to leave the library unguarded during her lunch break since, well, anyone geeky enough to come in during lunch wouldn't be the type to steal anything. Not that there was anything worth stealing, anyway...
The two girls standing around the bookshelfs certainly were ones to always obey the rules. Sapphire McLeod was one of those people who had their own small group of friends and never attempted to make contact with anyone else. He was actually seeming to become very similar to her again. Well, except for the jewelry thing.
Abigail Atkins was someone he knew much better. She was the head of the debate club, and she really liked to make her opinions outspoken. That came with her whole "perfectionist" role.
Alex decided to stay out of their business for the moment and skimmed the bookshelfs for something actually interesting. He stopped at a book that read on the spine:
"Terror in Today's World
Al Quada, Iraq, and Survival of the Fittest"
In a high school library? Really? Oh, why not.
He flipped to the section on SOTF and read a random passage under his breath: "The fact that the cold-blooded murderer Bryan Calvert was welcomed back to America with open arms proves that the government is filled with corrupt pigs who-"
Alex chuckled under his breath. This could be fun...
Damn thing's broken again. Does the school spend their ENTIRE budget on the sports teams?
Alexander Cann passed through the doors of the Bayview library. He, of course, usually didn't see any more people at the library during lunch. He had guessed that he was the only one who actually enjoyed leaving lunch early to go and read. Hell, some of the others at his table even joked that he could be a Major Leuge Eating champion because of how fast he eats his food.
He made a quick glance at the librarian's office.
Out for lunch, eh? Alex figured that Mrs. Collins could afford to leave the library unguarded during her lunch break since, well, anyone geeky enough to come in during lunch wouldn't be the type to steal anything. Not that there was anything worth stealing, anyway...
The two girls standing around the bookshelfs certainly were ones to always obey the rules. Sapphire McLeod was one of those people who had their own small group of friends and never attempted to make contact with anyone else. He was actually seeming to become very similar to her again. Well, except for the jewelry thing.
Abigail Atkins was someone he knew much better. She was the head of the debate club, and she really liked to make her opinions outspoken. That came with her whole "perfectionist" role.
Alex decided to stay out of their business for the moment and skimmed the bookshelfs for something actually interesting. He stopped at a book that read on the spine:
"Terror in Today's World
Al Quada, Iraq, and Survival of the Fittest"
In a high school library? Really? Oh, why not.
He flipped to the section on SOTF and read a random passage under his breath: "The fact that the cold-blooded murderer Bryan Calvert was welcomed back to America with open arms proves that the government is filled with corrupt pigs who-"
Alex chuckled under his breath. This could be fun...
Melissa was busy cooling her head in the corner of the library, her usual smile gone from her face as she rested while the Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture rang in her ears. Having gotten out of her last class early, she decided to make a quick stop to the library for some rest. She should have been going out to eat lunch, but lately she didn't have much of an appetite and today she simply decided to not even bother spending money for food she wouldn't eat. Her parents would have scolded her, but at this moment when the beautiful cannons sounded, she didn't care at all. Here she didn't have to worry about their nagging.
The song ended and she immediately pressed back to repeat it, letting the sounds envelop her again as she left herself to her own thoughts once again. There were so many other things she could be doing right now. Talking with friends, studying for classes, practicing the clarinet, etc. She had to keep her parents happy. That made everything peaceful at home.
'Ah...here come the cannons.' She thought happily as her favorite part of the overture came up. And then suddenly the music cut off and Melissa's eyes snapped open in irritation. She pulled her iPod out of the pocket of the navy-blue sweater she was wearing and blinked at it several times. 'Out of power...Typical.'
With a sigh, she took out her earbuds and tied them around the powerless iPod and stuffed both in her jeans. And that's when the annoying buzzing of the library's scanner told her that someone else was here. Quickly and carefully arranging her frown so that it turned into her characteristic smile, she walked up to see who the others were.
One of them was Abigail Atkins, the one everyone referred to as the smart kid. Melissa knew about her from word of mouth only. They had taken classes together, of course, but she never really talked with the other girl. Maybe they could have been friends but it didn't help that somehow her parents had found all about the whiz kid. Now whenever she showed a subpar test result, they would talk about that 'smart kid' and how come she wasn't that good. It was irritating, but Melissa didn't hold it against Abigail. It wasn't her fault, after all.
Another was Sapphire McLeod. She knew her from her jewelry, but nothing else. She was a little jealous of the girl. Sapphire had found her own place in life and was thriving and here she was, wallowing in a pit of despair. It wasn't fair. Melissa wished she could just grasp a little bit of the freedom that Sapphire had...but she couldn't let herself think that way. It wasn't right.
Out of the corner she could see someone else she recognized as Alexander Cann and all she knew about him were rumors that he was a huge asshole. That alone was enough to alienate the young man to her. She has enough of assholes at home and she hated people who acted like that in school.
She didn't say any of that, though. She forced the bitter words back down her throat and walked up to them, raising a hand to give Abigail and Sapphire a small wave. "I didn't expect to see any other people here. I couldn't help but overhear the scanner...is there something she could help with?"
She smiled at them, displaying the mask she wore so proudly. For everyone else, there was nothing wrong with her. And that's just the way she wanted it.
The song ended and she immediately pressed back to repeat it, letting the sounds envelop her again as she left herself to her own thoughts once again. There were so many other things she could be doing right now. Talking with friends, studying for classes, practicing the clarinet, etc. She had to keep her parents happy. That made everything peaceful at home.
'Ah...here come the cannons.' She thought happily as her favorite part of the overture came up. And then suddenly the music cut off and Melissa's eyes snapped open in irritation. She pulled her iPod out of the pocket of the navy-blue sweater she was wearing and blinked at it several times. 'Out of power...Typical.'
With a sigh, she took out her earbuds and tied them around the powerless iPod and stuffed both in her jeans. And that's when the annoying buzzing of the library's scanner told her that someone else was here. Quickly and carefully arranging her frown so that it turned into her characteristic smile, she walked up to see who the others were.
One of them was Abigail Atkins, the one everyone referred to as the smart kid. Melissa knew about her from word of mouth only. They had taken classes together, of course, but she never really talked with the other girl. Maybe they could have been friends but it didn't help that somehow her parents had found all about the whiz kid. Now whenever she showed a subpar test result, they would talk about that 'smart kid' and how come she wasn't that good. It was irritating, but Melissa didn't hold it against Abigail. It wasn't her fault, after all.
Another was Sapphire McLeod. She knew her from her jewelry, but nothing else. She was a little jealous of the girl. Sapphire had found her own place in life and was thriving and here she was, wallowing in a pit of despair. It wasn't fair. Melissa wished she could just grasp a little bit of the freedom that Sapphire had...but she couldn't let herself think that way. It wasn't right.
Out of the corner she could see someone else she recognized as Alexander Cann and all she knew about him were rumors that he was a huge asshole. That alone was enough to alienate the young man to her. She has enough of assholes at home and she hated people who acted like that in school.
She didn't say any of that, though. She forced the bitter words back down her throat and walked up to them, raising a hand to give Abigail and Sapphire a small wave. "I didn't expect to see any other people here. I couldn't help but overhear the scanner...is there something she could help with?"
She smiled at them, displaying the mask she wore so proudly. For everyone else, there was nothing wrong with her. And that's just the way she wanted it.
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Candescence*
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2018 8:36 am
Tristan sighed, as he made his merry way to the library, right through those gates, and-
BBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTT!!!!
Tristan blinked. Malfunctioning AGAIN? Who was responsible for fixing these things? Oh well. His eyes wandered the place, wondering where everyone was. Oh, there they were. At least someone was around, though it was still fairly quiet. So, what was he doing here...? Oh, yes, study. Or was it playing his DS? He didn't mind either, but wasn't sure which to choose. So he picked an easy solution, the good old coin toss. He pulled out a coin, and immediately flicked it into the air, catching it on the back of his hand. Heads, study, tails, DS. He took a look, and noted that it was tails - DS it was.
He wandered over near the rest of the students here. He recognized all of them in some shape or form. Sapphire was the first he laid eyes on. Shy girl, Tristan had tried getting her to open up properly with more than one person in a conversation, but it never quite worked. He knew she had more than a liking for arts and crafts, though, he had been thinking that he could use this to his advantage in trying to help her.
Then he noticed Abigail. He knew her from the student council, and also knew that her peers called her a few nicknames, most notably the 'smart girl'. Tristan, when he first met her, was actually surprised by how willing she was to study and try her hardest to get the finest grades possible, something that he admired, but he sometimes joked that, though she was setting herself up for a potentially wonderful future, she could at least try not to go overboard with it.
And lastly... Alex Cann. Oh, boy. He knew this guy's reputation, and has seen his behavior first-hand. Rude, egotistical, and in short, as much as he hated to think it, a jackass. Tristan had made several attempts to convince him why he was such a twat, but let's face it, Alex was on the debating team, and never seemed to have any of it.
And finally... Melissa Li. The smart, musical type who always seemed polite and cheerful amongst others. But every so often, Tristan ended up seeing something that conflicted with how she expressed herself, whether it be something in her eyes or her expression. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, though, and had decided he probably didn't need to look into it, but he had this feeling that all was not what it seemed. He could be wrong, though.
"Hey Sapph, Mel. Studying as usual, I see, Ab? Hey, Alex, what 'cha reading?"
He peeked over Alex's shoulder. The guy was reading something on SOTF. He chuckled, as he sat down on a nearby chair, taking his DS out of that white coat of his, turning his DS on, with Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow already in. He sighed, as he noted, "Survival of the Fittest... What a pity. It saddens me to think that those kids end up violating one of the easiest to follow of the commandments... Even with those collars, I don't believe that's an excuse. If I was in their situation, I'd rather let Danya blow my head off than kill another human being."
((Forgot about Mel, edited.))
BBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTT!!!!
Tristan blinked. Malfunctioning AGAIN? Who was responsible for fixing these things? Oh well. His eyes wandered the place, wondering where everyone was. Oh, there they were. At least someone was around, though it was still fairly quiet. So, what was he doing here...? Oh, yes, study. Or was it playing his DS? He didn't mind either, but wasn't sure which to choose. So he picked an easy solution, the good old coin toss. He pulled out a coin, and immediately flicked it into the air, catching it on the back of his hand. Heads, study, tails, DS. He took a look, and noted that it was tails - DS it was.
He wandered over near the rest of the students here. He recognized all of them in some shape or form. Sapphire was the first he laid eyes on. Shy girl, Tristan had tried getting her to open up properly with more than one person in a conversation, but it never quite worked. He knew she had more than a liking for arts and crafts, though, he had been thinking that he could use this to his advantage in trying to help her.
Then he noticed Abigail. He knew her from the student council, and also knew that her peers called her a few nicknames, most notably the 'smart girl'. Tristan, when he first met her, was actually surprised by how willing she was to study and try her hardest to get the finest grades possible, something that he admired, but he sometimes joked that, though she was setting herself up for a potentially wonderful future, she could at least try not to go overboard with it.
And lastly... Alex Cann. Oh, boy. He knew this guy's reputation, and has seen his behavior first-hand. Rude, egotistical, and in short, as much as he hated to think it, a jackass. Tristan had made several attempts to convince him why he was such a twat, but let's face it, Alex was on the debating team, and never seemed to have any of it.
And finally... Melissa Li. The smart, musical type who always seemed polite and cheerful amongst others. But every so often, Tristan ended up seeing something that conflicted with how she expressed herself, whether it be something in her eyes or her expression. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, though, and had decided he probably didn't need to look into it, but he had this feeling that all was not what it seemed. He could be wrong, though.
"Hey Sapph, Mel. Studying as usual, I see, Ab? Hey, Alex, what 'cha reading?"
He peeked over Alex's shoulder. The guy was reading something on SOTF. He chuckled, as he sat down on a nearby chair, taking his DS out of that white coat of his, turning his DS on, with Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow already in. He sighed, as he noted, "Survival of the Fittest... What a pity. It saddens me to think that those kids end up violating one of the easiest to follow of the commandments... Even with those collars, I don't believe that's an excuse. If I was in their situation, I'd rather let Danya blow my head off than kill another human being."
((Forgot about Mel, edited.))
"Nathanial Harris should by no means have been accepted into a public school, and the Highland Beach Board of Education or the local government should be forced to reinburse the famlies of his victims-"
"Survival of the Fittest... What a pity. It saddens me to think that those kids end up violating one of the easiest to follow of the commandments... Even with those collars, I don't believe that's an excuse. If I was in their situation, I'd rather let Danya blow my head off than kill another human being."
Ugh, that voice. That accent. Alex didn't even have to look up from the page to realize it came from Tristain Matthews, an annoyingly devout Christain and a Castlevania obbsessive. If it's a debate he wants... I've been trying to stop bothering them, why can't they just do the same?
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah I'm a fan. Me, and Bounce, and Ashlyn, and about one in five teengers today."
He cleared his throat. "I agree with you by the way. I'm not one of those monsters who cheers when a psychopath totures someone and then knocks them off a cliff. Players are idiots, who have no idea that if they stop playing, then there's no show, and they all go home because there'll be a fan riot if they just kill them all, and they'd just lose money."
"The people who deserve to win are the ones who try to fight Danya, and live without killing. Of course, I'm disappointed time and time again."
"But fine, I watch and I like it, I doubt you'll use what I say as an excuse. Hell, I even enjoy the suspense, betrayal, and craziness from time to time. Live with what you get I suppose, but they still shouldn't win unless they beat the system."
"Survival of the Fittest... What a pity. It saddens me to think that those kids end up violating one of the easiest to follow of the commandments... Even with those collars, I don't believe that's an excuse. If I was in their situation, I'd rather let Danya blow my head off than kill another human being."
Ugh, that voice. That accent. Alex didn't even have to look up from the page to realize it came from Tristain Matthews, an annoyingly devout Christain and a Castlevania obbsessive. If it's a debate he wants... I've been trying to stop bothering them, why can't they just do the same?
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah I'm a fan. Me, and Bounce, and Ashlyn, and about one in five teengers today."
He cleared his throat. "I agree with you by the way. I'm not one of those monsters who cheers when a psychopath totures someone and then knocks them off a cliff. Players are idiots, who have no idea that if they stop playing, then there's no show, and they all go home because there'll be a fan riot if they just kill them all, and they'd just lose money."
"The people who deserve to win are the ones who try to fight Danya, and live without killing. Of course, I'm disappointed time and time again."
"But fine, I watch and I like it, I doubt you'll use what I say as an excuse. Hell, I even enjoy the suspense, betrayal, and craziness from time to time. Live with what you get I suppose, but they still shouldn't win unless they beat the system."
-
landlocked*
- Posts: 99
- Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2018 9:03 am
Abigail was pretty surprised when she heard the scanner buzz two more times - who would've thought she wouldn't be the only one who wanted to study during lunch? But, aside from the fact that now more people than she had expected would see the stain (explosive, I swear, they're explosive!), Abigail was quite glad for the company. All things considered, studying with a few other people around to occasionally talk to beat studying in silence any day, especially since she was just taking a few notes and working out a preliminary outline. She didn't know either Tristan or Melissa particularly well, but she knew that they were both nice kids. Alex she was... less happy to see, having had some first-hand experience with his bad attitude, but she smiled politely at him nonetheless. As long as they weren't actually debating together now, there really wasn't any need to start any kind of argument.
"Hey, guys!" she said brightly, also smiling at Tristan and Melissa in turn, "Yeah, I figure I'll get an early start on this book report while I'm here, they've been piling the work on lately and I really want to watch Grey's Anatomy tonight. The library is jumpin' today, huh? I hope Mrs. Collins isn't upset," she joked.
The smile faded from her face somewhat when she heard Tristan talk about exactly what Alex was reading. Ugh. Typical. Someone like Alex would be into a show like that. Abigail had heard of Survival of the Fittest - who hadn't, at this point? - but from what people said, it was not the kind of thing she wanted to watch, ever. She could never stand to hear it brought up, but it seemed to be happening more and more often lately. Deciding it better to simply stay off the subject completely, Abigail turned back to Sapphire, taking a seat next to her and propping one of the books she had taken open.
"Hey, so are you going to be selling some more jewelery any time soon? My mom really loved that bracelet that I bought last time, she wears it all the time."
"Hey, guys!" she said brightly, also smiling at Tristan and Melissa in turn, "Yeah, I figure I'll get an early start on this book report while I'm here, they've been piling the work on lately and I really want to watch Grey's Anatomy tonight. The library is jumpin' today, huh? I hope Mrs. Collins isn't upset," she joked.
The smile faded from her face somewhat when she heard Tristan talk about exactly what Alex was reading. Ugh. Typical. Someone like Alex would be into a show like that. Abigail had heard of Survival of the Fittest - who hadn't, at this point? - but from what people said, it was not the kind of thing she wanted to watch, ever. She could never stand to hear it brought up, but it seemed to be happening more and more often lately. Deciding it better to simply stay off the subject completely, Abigail turned back to Sapphire, taking a seat next to her and propping one of the books she had taken open.
"Hey, so are you going to be selling some more jewelery any time soon? My mom really loved that bracelet that I bought last time, she wears it all the time."
Peering over the edge of her ever present shades, Madeleine Smith peeked around the doorway into the library. From where she was standing, it looked like there were a few people in there, but none of them were looking directly at her. With any luck, she would be able to hide in the regular alcove before they noticed she was there. She was taking it a step at a time, slowly creeping through the door. Not knowing that the book detectors were on the fritz, she stepped right through, and....
BZZZZZZZTTTTTTT!
"AIEEE!" she cried, literally jumping into the air. Not waiting to see if anyone had seen that, she had already ducked sideways and behind a bookshelf, out of the direct line of sight. Before moving again, she took a few breaths to calm herself down. With any luck, the students in the library wouldn't investigate.
Why did that thing go off? I don't even take books out!
With her back to the bookshelves, she inched slowly down to one corner of the library, where a most exquisite half-circular bookshelf was located. Her first time in the library, this bookshelf had caught Madeleine's eye, because of the beautiful way the light hit it through a nearby window. The nigh-invisible cloud of musty dust that was always in the library air stood out brilliantly against the brown wood bookshelf. She just simply had to draw it.
And draw it she had, at least the bare outline. Finding the cushy chair where she had left it yesterday, Madeleine sat and pulled her sketchbook out of her backpack, along with a box of cartoonist's pencils. Today she would color the shelves themselves, in their delightful detail. For the last few days, she'd been examining the patterns of the wood, the lines and grooves, and was now certain that she'd be able to do it justice. "Perhaps I should use a nut brown..." she mused to herself, already taking a comfortable position and pulling out half a dozen pencils of various shades of brown. Most people would find this shelf incredibly dull and boring, and Madeleine had to conclude that it was, somewhat. But the atmosphere....that was something tantalizing.
BZZZZZZZTTTTTTT!
"AIEEE!" she cried, literally jumping into the air. Not waiting to see if anyone had seen that, she had already ducked sideways and behind a bookshelf, out of the direct line of sight. Before moving again, she took a few breaths to calm herself down. With any luck, the students in the library wouldn't investigate.
Why did that thing go off? I don't even take books out!
With her back to the bookshelves, she inched slowly down to one corner of the library, where a most exquisite half-circular bookshelf was located. Her first time in the library, this bookshelf had caught Madeleine's eye, because of the beautiful way the light hit it through a nearby window. The nigh-invisible cloud of musty dust that was always in the library air stood out brilliantly against the brown wood bookshelf. She just simply had to draw it.
And draw it she had, at least the bare outline. Finding the cushy chair where she had left it yesterday, Madeleine sat and pulled her sketchbook out of her backpack, along with a box of cartoonist's pencils. Today she would color the shelves themselves, in their delightful detail. For the last few days, she'd been examining the patterns of the wood, the lines and grooves, and was now certain that she'd be able to do it justice. "Perhaps I should use a nut brown..." she mused to herself, already taking a comfortable position and pulling out half a dozen pencils of various shades of brown. Most people would find this shelf incredibly dull and boring, and Madeleine had to conclude that it was, somewhat. But the atmosphere....that was something tantalizing.
'More people? Just how many people want to go to the library during lunch? Don't they have lives?' Melissa thought to herself as someone else came in. She recognized him as...Trish? No...Trist? Tristan, right. Melissa didn't really remember his name, just his appearance. He was a kind enough boy...at least from what she heard. She heard he liked playing Castlevania games and was also a devout Christian. Melissa wasn't sure how she felt about religion. She wasn't all that certain about the existence of a higher power. But hey, if God himself came down to free her from the hell, she'd believe him for the rest of her life.
Tristan said something to her. She smiled and nodded. "Hey yourself."
She would have said something else if Tristan hadn't gone to Alex and immediately started discussing Survival of the Fittest. She had heard of it, of course. Who hadn't? That sick game where that fatass Danya kidnapped kids and tossed them on an island with weapons and told 'em to kill each other. It was so, so stupid...but it was successful. She herself couldn't help but have a morbid fascination for the game. She never told her parents, of course. They would be on her case in an instant if they caught her watching that game of scum and villainy.
It was almost frightening how well it worked. True, it was possible that the best way to defeat Danya would be to do absolutely nothing...but who would be willing to do that? Not everyone, that's for sure. Sacrifice? She doubted the people on the island had enough guts or goodness in order to sacrifice themselves to just give a big "Fuck you" to Danya.
'Enough of these dark thoughts.' She frowned briefly, shaking her head and looking for someone else to talk to. Unfortunately, that position was unfilled. Abigail was asking Sapphire for more of her jewelry and Alex and Tristan were arguing about that stupid game. She was about to leave when suddenly the scanner let out another loud buzz and a scared scream rebounded through the library halls.
'Who the heck was that?' Melissa looked at the direction of the sound and just managed to glimpse brown hair. She turned to the others, a smile on her face. "Uh, excuse me, I'm just going to see who that was."
Slowly making her way out of the crowd, she walked in the direction of where she had seen the hair go. Some wandering and stumbling later, she found one Madeleine Smith. She seemed peaceful enough, drawing what appeared to be...the shelf? She blinked in confusion. Who would paint a shelf of all things? But she looked happy enough doing it.
'Should I interrupt her? I...wouldn't want to ruin her work.' She debated tapping her on the shoulder but thought that even that would be too intrusive. Instead she just drew another chair besides her and watched. It was quiet enough and watching someone else paint something, even a dusty shelf, was...soothing. So she just watched and waited until Madeleine noticed her.
Tristan said something to her. She smiled and nodded. "Hey yourself."
She would have said something else if Tristan hadn't gone to Alex and immediately started discussing Survival of the Fittest. She had heard of it, of course. Who hadn't? That sick game where that fatass Danya kidnapped kids and tossed them on an island with weapons and told 'em to kill each other. It was so, so stupid...but it was successful. She herself couldn't help but have a morbid fascination for the game. She never told her parents, of course. They would be on her case in an instant if they caught her watching that game of scum and villainy.
It was almost frightening how well it worked. True, it was possible that the best way to defeat Danya would be to do absolutely nothing...but who would be willing to do that? Not everyone, that's for sure. Sacrifice? She doubted the people on the island had enough guts or goodness in order to sacrifice themselves to just give a big "Fuck you" to Danya.
'Enough of these dark thoughts.' She frowned briefly, shaking her head and looking for someone else to talk to. Unfortunately, that position was unfilled. Abigail was asking Sapphire for more of her jewelry and Alex and Tristan were arguing about that stupid game. She was about to leave when suddenly the scanner let out another loud buzz and a scared scream rebounded through the library halls.
'Who the heck was that?' Melissa looked at the direction of the sound and just managed to glimpse brown hair. She turned to the others, a smile on her face. "Uh, excuse me, I'm just going to see who that was."
Slowly making her way out of the crowd, she walked in the direction of where she had seen the hair go. Some wandering and stumbling later, she found one Madeleine Smith. She seemed peaceful enough, drawing what appeared to be...the shelf? She blinked in confusion. Who would paint a shelf of all things? But she looked happy enough doing it.
'Should I interrupt her? I...wouldn't want to ruin her work.' She debated tapping her on the shoulder but thought that even that would be too intrusive. Instead she just drew another chair besides her and watched. It was quiet enough and watching someone else paint something, even a dusty shelf, was...soothing. So she just watched and waited until Madeleine noticed her.
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Candescence*
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2018 8:36 am
Tristan blinked, as Alex made a rather long response to his comment. The tone in his voice suggested that Alex took it as Tristan wanting to debate about it. He was actually surprised that Alex agreed with him, too. Tristan immediately paused the game, and looked at Alex. "Well, we agree on something. And by the way, in case you got the wrong idea, I was just making a statement. I didn't want to argue with you." It would have been incredibly pointless ANYWAY. "Honestly... I'm not sure if half those teens even know SOTF is real. But it's happened three times already, and none of the contestants are coming back."
"AIEEE!"
Immediately on reflex, Tristan looked towards the source of the scream. He had also heard the detector go off at the same time - someone hadn't seen that one coming. A figure darted behind the bookshelf, but Tristan managed to get a look. Madeleine Smith. Poor girl didn't have the courage to talk more than occasionally. Yet the sets she would design for the school plays were fantastic. Tristan had noticed that she would also do drawings, whether it be in class, or outside, or in this library, that on a mere glance were remarkable. Yet she never publically showed her artistic talents outside of the school plays. Perhaps she was afraid of negative criticism? It wasn't unlikely, H. P. Lovecraft had the same affliction, it was the one thing that nearly prevented his works from being published. Her parents were lawyers, incredibly busy people, perhaps they never really had time for her? Perhaps she had been gotten unfair criticism or been laughed at for her works in the past? Who knows.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he paused the game, put away his DS, and snuck over to where Madeleine was drawing, keeping some feet away as for her not to notice him. She had a whole pack of colour pencils at the ready, all in different colours and shades. She had barely started, and yet her skill could be observed in the lines and her colouring. Tristan tried to get a good look. He could tell she was completely drawn in by her work, as if she was on an important mission to do so. It was amazing.
He sat down on a chair silently, noting that Melissa was also there watching. To see an artist of Madeleine's calibre at work was absolutely fascinating. He didn't want to disturb her, simply watching her work in silence, observing her take the very image in front of her, and transition it to paper with unbelievable accuracy. Maybe when she was done, he'd compliment her - she more than deserved it. Heck, she needed it.
"AIEEE!"
Immediately on reflex, Tristan looked towards the source of the scream. He had also heard the detector go off at the same time - someone hadn't seen that one coming. A figure darted behind the bookshelf, but Tristan managed to get a look. Madeleine Smith. Poor girl didn't have the courage to talk more than occasionally. Yet the sets she would design for the school plays were fantastic. Tristan had noticed that she would also do drawings, whether it be in class, or outside, or in this library, that on a mere glance were remarkable. Yet she never publically showed her artistic talents outside of the school plays. Perhaps she was afraid of negative criticism? It wasn't unlikely, H. P. Lovecraft had the same affliction, it was the one thing that nearly prevented his works from being published. Her parents were lawyers, incredibly busy people, perhaps they never really had time for her? Perhaps she had been gotten unfair criticism or been laughed at for her works in the past? Who knows.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he paused the game, put away his DS, and snuck over to where Madeleine was drawing, keeping some feet away as for her not to notice him. She had a whole pack of colour pencils at the ready, all in different colours and shades. She had barely started, and yet her skill could be observed in the lines and her colouring. Tristan tried to get a good look. He could tell she was completely drawn in by her work, as if she was on an important mission to do so. It was amazing.
He sat down on a chair silently, noting that Melissa was also there watching. To see an artist of Madeleine's calibre at work was absolutely fascinating. He didn't want to disturb her, simply watching her work in silence, observing her take the very image in front of her, and transition it to paper with unbelievable accuracy. Maybe when she was done, he'd compliment her - she more than deserved it. Heck, she needed it.
((OOC: Wow, this thing goes FAST. I'm going to try to recap everything, sorry.))
Sapphire was too engrossed into the book to hear the faint beeping of the book checker, and never noticed a slightly short girl approaching her.
"Hey, I'm not the only one lame enough to spend time in the library during lunch! What's up?"
Sapphire was startled back to reality. "Wha?" She blinked a few times. "Oh, hi Abigail. Just reading while the system logs me in." She gave a small glance to the computer which was still giving the message of Loading Personal Settings in the dull grey box.
Abigail, the sharpest tool in the shed. Sapphire personally didn't know her as well as she wanted to, except for the fact that Abi was a walking book of information in most subjects, and was the fearless leader of the debate team. Oh, and didn't she do something in art, with a dress That's right, she made a dress and sewed it up herself.
A few seconds of silence settled in. Sapphire herself had a mental blankout on what to do, apart from talk about the weather, which she immediately discarded. It wasn't that she was bad at talking, just bad at talking to random people about random things, and her slow and steady approach to tasks didn't help in these kinds of situations either. She was racking her brains for something when she was saved by the buzzer of Alexander Cann walking into the room, followed shortly by Melissa on her dead iPod, smiling to herself.
Alex walked over to the new books section and came over reading a hardback, while Melissa walked up and gave a small wave to the group. "I didn't expect to see any other people here. I couldn't help but overhear the scanner...is there something she could help with?"
BZZZZP!
Another person? This place is getting packed...
"Hey Sapph, Mel. Studying as usual, I see, Ab? Hey, Alex, what 'cha reading? Survival of the Fittest... What a pity "
The second Sapphire heard those four words, she instantly tuned out to the argument coming on. Killing each other for survival? And kids like themselves, no less? It was sick. Just sick. She didn't want to know, and she didn't want to care. The week where all TV channels were hi-jacked by that show, she just turned off the box and started sketching some designs for earrings.
She glared at the monitor. It appeared that the damn thing was frozen again. Sighing, she went for the reset button. The computers in the library were in computer terms dinosaurs, hand-me-downs from the computer labs when they were upgraded last year.
"Hey, so are you going to be selling some more jewelery any time soon? My mom really loved that bracelet that I bought last time, she wears it all the time."
Jolted back to life again. "Oh, she liked it? Great! I'm currently out of beads though. I was planning to get some this afternoon from the mall, I've got a new pla "
BZZZZZZZZP! AIEEEEE!
" did the buzzer just scream?"
Sapphire turned around to see a blur of someone dash behind a bookshelf.
Melissa gave a grin and softly said "Uh, excuse me, I'm just going to see who that was."
Sapphire frowned. If the person wanted to be talked to, they wouldn't be hiding in between 000 and 200 of the decimal system. Even so, she felt a slight curiosity to who would want to be undetected by others. Glancing at Tristian and Abigail, she quietly sneaked to one of the sides to grab a view of the mystery bookcase-ninja.
mystery bookcase-ninja? What on earth are you thinking?
She suppressed a giggle as she silently moved to the opposite bookcase to reveal a familiar sight, Madeline, who was engrossed on a drawing in her art book. Some of the stuff that girl came up with was just amazing. Sapphire had even used a few pictures for inspiration on a necklace she was making a few months back, with her permission. She was hoping to be able to partner up with her on an art project sometime.
She quietly sat, looking at the masterpiece that was unfolding.
Sapphire was too engrossed into the book to hear the faint beeping of the book checker, and never noticed a slightly short girl approaching her.
"Hey, I'm not the only one lame enough to spend time in the library during lunch! What's up?"
Sapphire was startled back to reality. "Wha?" She blinked a few times. "Oh, hi Abigail. Just reading while the system logs me in." She gave a small glance to the computer which was still giving the message of Loading Personal Settings in the dull grey box.
Abigail, the sharpest tool in the shed. Sapphire personally didn't know her as well as she wanted to, except for the fact that Abi was a walking book of information in most subjects, and was the fearless leader of the debate team. Oh, and didn't she do something in art, with a dress That's right, she made a dress and sewed it up herself.
A few seconds of silence settled in. Sapphire herself had a mental blankout on what to do, apart from talk about the weather, which she immediately discarded. It wasn't that she was bad at talking, just bad at talking to random people about random things, and her slow and steady approach to tasks didn't help in these kinds of situations either. She was racking her brains for something when she was saved by the buzzer of Alexander Cann walking into the room, followed shortly by Melissa on her dead iPod, smiling to herself.
Alex walked over to the new books section and came over reading a hardback, while Melissa walked up and gave a small wave to the group. "I didn't expect to see any other people here. I couldn't help but overhear the scanner...is there something she could help with?"
BZZZZP!
Another person? This place is getting packed...
"Hey Sapph, Mel. Studying as usual, I see, Ab? Hey, Alex, what 'cha reading? Survival of the Fittest... What a pity "
The second Sapphire heard those four words, she instantly tuned out to the argument coming on. Killing each other for survival? And kids like themselves, no less? It was sick. Just sick. She didn't want to know, and she didn't want to care. The week where all TV channels were hi-jacked by that show, she just turned off the box and started sketching some designs for earrings.
She glared at the monitor. It appeared that the damn thing was frozen again. Sighing, she went for the reset button. The computers in the library were in computer terms dinosaurs, hand-me-downs from the computer labs when they were upgraded last year.
"Hey, so are you going to be selling some more jewelery any time soon? My mom really loved that bracelet that I bought last time, she wears it all the time."
Jolted back to life again. "Oh, she liked it? Great! I'm currently out of beads though. I was planning to get some this afternoon from the mall, I've got a new pla "
BZZZZZZZZP! AIEEEEE!
" did the buzzer just scream?"
Sapphire turned around to see a blur of someone dash behind a bookshelf.
Melissa gave a grin and softly said "Uh, excuse me, I'm just going to see who that was."
Sapphire frowned. If the person wanted to be talked to, they wouldn't be hiding in between 000 and 200 of the decimal system. Even so, she felt a slight curiosity to who would want to be undetected by others. Glancing at Tristian and Abigail, she quietly sneaked to one of the sides to grab a view of the mystery bookcase-ninja.
mystery bookcase-ninja? What on earth are you thinking?
She suppressed a giggle as she silently moved to the opposite bookcase to reveal a familiar sight, Madeline, who was engrossed on a drawing in her art book. Some of the stuff that girl came up with was just amazing. Sapphire had even used a few pictures for inspiration on a necklace she was making a few months back, with her permission. She was hoping to be able to partner up with her on an art project sometime.
She quietly sat, looking at the masterpiece that was unfolding.
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Hallucinojelly*
- Posts: 133
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 6:17 am
Violet Druce
Violet Druce was a small, skinny Chinese-American girl with purple hair and large, pierced-on-one-side ears. She wore a loose, purple hooded sweater with a pair of black, ill-fitting trousers hanging belt-less from her hips. She walked with a look of urgency about her, as her sneakers thumped with each hurried step.
No, no, no, no, I can't be late again, that'd be twice in two days! Oh, where did I leave it?
The "it" Violet was referring to was her large rucksack containing all the usual school essentials, alongside an assortment of DVD's and books detailing the various ways in which plasticine can be applied in the making of fake wounds.
As she hurried down the hall to the library, she could hear the faint murmur of a small crowd gathering amongst the bookshelves. That's weird, I wonder where the librarian is? In answer to her question, the scanners blared as she walked through them, causing her to gasp in shock and forget what she was thinking.
"Don't you buzz at me, stupid things." She shook her fist mockingly at the machines, then strolled over to the main desk, where she was surprised to see that there wasn't anyone manning the main computer. Huh, I guess librarians get a lunch-time too. Turning her head from side to side, she scanned the area for any clues as to the whereabouts of her missing rucksack. After finding nothing around, she decided to do some manual searching around the group of students gathered by the computers.
Where are you, my sacky little rucksack? Trying her best not to interrupt whatever was going on, she knelt down on the floor to get a better view of the desks to see if she'd left her rucksack there. However, with people's legs constantly moving into her eye-line, it was becoming a frustrating task, and in the end, she decided that it probably wasn't there anyway. Letting out a hushed sigh, she got to her feet once more and continued her search over by the poetry section.
Whilst there, she noticed the thick layer of dust that covered almost every book in that section, and wondered why they even bothered having one if no-one read poetry anymore. Shrugging at the thought, she caught a glimpse of something familiar out of the corner of her eye. "Finally!" She exclaimed, as she picked up the rucksack and slung it over her relieved shoulders. Smiling as she stepped over to the front desk, she pulled out three books from her bag then placed them in front of the computer. Looking at the clock on the wall, she realised she was much later than she thought she was, and so dashed out of the library whilst swearing at the scanners.
Violet Druce was a small, skinny Chinese-American girl with purple hair and large, pierced-on-one-side ears. She wore a loose, purple hooded sweater with a pair of black, ill-fitting trousers hanging belt-less from her hips. She walked with a look of urgency about her, as her sneakers thumped with each hurried step.
No, no, no, no, I can't be late again, that'd be twice in two days! Oh, where did I leave it?
The "it" Violet was referring to was her large rucksack containing all the usual school essentials, alongside an assortment of DVD's and books detailing the various ways in which plasticine can be applied in the making of fake wounds.
As she hurried down the hall to the library, she could hear the faint murmur of a small crowd gathering amongst the bookshelves. That's weird, I wonder where the librarian is? In answer to her question, the scanners blared as she walked through them, causing her to gasp in shock and forget what she was thinking.
"Don't you buzz at me, stupid things." She shook her fist mockingly at the machines, then strolled over to the main desk, where she was surprised to see that there wasn't anyone manning the main computer. Huh, I guess librarians get a lunch-time too. Turning her head from side to side, she scanned the area for any clues as to the whereabouts of her missing rucksack. After finding nothing around, she decided to do some manual searching around the group of students gathered by the computers.
Where are you, my sacky little rucksack? Trying her best not to interrupt whatever was going on, she knelt down on the floor to get a better view of the desks to see if she'd left her rucksack there. However, with people's legs constantly moving into her eye-line, it was becoming a frustrating task, and in the end, she decided that it probably wasn't there anyway. Letting out a hushed sigh, she got to her feet once more and continued her search over by the poetry section.
Whilst there, she noticed the thick layer of dust that covered almost every book in that section, and wondered why they even bothered having one if no-one read poetry anymore. Shrugging at the thought, she caught a glimpse of something familiar out of the corner of her eye. "Finally!" She exclaimed, as she picked up the rucksack and slung it over her relieved shoulders. Smiling as she stepped over to the front desk, she pulled out three books from her bag then placed them in front of the computer. Looking at the clock on the wall, she realised she was much later than she thought she was, and so dashed out of the library whilst swearing at the scanners.
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landlocked*
- Posts: 99
- Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2018 9:03 am
((Hope you guys don't mind this))
Sapphire seemed a bit too shy to respond much at first, but then, Abigail wasn't entirely surprised given how many people were around. The other students being there didn't particularly bother Abigail, but Sapphire had always seemed a bit shy whenever she bought jewelery from her, so she supposed it made sense that she'd be a little quiet. Just as Sapphire started to respond, however, the scanner buzzed once again... followed by a scream? That was odd. Did somebody trip or something? Maybe they should go make sure whoever it was was all right.
Melissa, Sapphire and Tristan all seemed to have the same idea, each of them going over to see who it was. After taking a few moments to jot down some quick notes from the book she had taken off the shelf, Abigail also got up and crossed the library to check on the screamer. Nobody seemed to be standing at the scanner anymore, but she could see that the others were now staring at someone obscured behind a bookshelf. It seemed a bit rude to stare, but Abigail wanted to get a closer look at what exactly was so interesting, as well - before she could, however, she heard the scanner buzz yet again.
She saw that it was a girl named Violet - someone she knew by name, but not really personally, though Abigail had heard a bit about her films. Not that she'd ever watch something like that... before she could greet her or even smile at her, however, Violet had immediately taken off into the shelves, grabbed her bag and left the library once again.
"Um... hi!" Abigail called after her in futilely as she left - not only did the scanner buzzing once again drown her out somewhat, but Violet didn't seem to be paying much attention to her. Ah, well. She tried. Now to see what all the fuss about the screa-
"Miss Atkins! ...What is going on in here?"
Apparently Mrs. Collins' lunch break wasn't quite as long as the ones she usually took - she had mentioned going on a diet to Abigail once, after all - because she was standing in the doorway, intimidating as ever with her suspicious, squinty brown eyes and hugely overweight body. Abigail simply smiled at her, however. Mrs. Collins was definitely not the friendliest person, particularly to students that returned books late or didn't put them back in their proper place, but Abigail had always made sure to follow her rules as closely as possible and to always be polite with her, and so the two of them had gotten along comparatively well.
"Oh... hello, Mrs. Collins. I was just taking some time out of lunch to get some work done, hope you don't mind."
"Mm. Well, I heard the scanner go off as I was coming down the hall, and how many other people are here? None of you had better-"
Mrs. Collins was cut off by the scanner's buzz as she also stepped through it.
Sapphire seemed a bit too shy to respond much at first, but then, Abigail wasn't entirely surprised given how many people were around. The other students being there didn't particularly bother Abigail, but Sapphire had always seemed a bit shy whenever she bought jewelery from her, so she supposed it made sense that she'd be a little quiet. Just as Sapphire started to respond, however, the scanner buzzed once again... followed by a scream? That was odd. Did somebody trip or something? Maybe they should go make sure whoever it was was all right.
Melissa, Sapphire and Tristan all seemed to have the same idea, each of them going over to see who it was. After taking a few moments to jot down some quick notes from the book she had taken off the shelf, Abigail also got up and crossed the library to check on the screamer. Nobody seemed to be standing at the scanner anymore, but she could see that the others were now staring at someone obscured behind a bookshelf. It seemed a bit rude to stare, but Abigail wanted to get a closer look at what exactly was so interesting, as well - before she could, however, she heard the scanner buzz yet again.
She saw that it was a girl named Violet - someone she knew by name, but not really personally, though Abigail had heard a bit about her films. Not that she'd ever watch something like that... before she could greet her or even smile at her, however, Violet had immediately taken off into the shelves, grabbed her bag and left the library once again.
"Um... hi!" Abigail called after her in futilely as she left - not only did the scanner buzzing once again drown her out somewhat, but Violet didn't seem to be paying much attention to her. Ah, well. She tried. Now to see what all the fuss about the screa-
"Miss Atkins! ...What is going on in here?"
Apparently Mrs. Collins' lunch break wasn't quite as long as the ones she usually took - she had mentioned going on a diet to Abigail once, after all - because she was standing in the doorway, intimidating as ever with her suspicious, squinty brown eyes and hugely overweight body. Abigail simply smiled at her, however. Mrs. Collins was definitely not the friendliest person, particularly to students that returned books late or didn't put them back in their proper place, but Abigail had always made sure to follow her rules as closely as possible and to always be polite with her, and so the two of them had gotten along comparatively well.
"Oh... hello, Mrs. Collins. I was just taking some time out of lunch to get some work done, hope you don't mind."
"Mm. Well, I heard the scanner go off as I was coming down the hall, and how many other people are here? None of you had better-"
Mrs. Collins was cut off by the scanner's buzz as she also stepped through it.
((I assume that we can all control Mrs. Collins. If not, sorry.))
Alex was extremely relieved when Tristain decided to stop bothering him and look at that artist girl... whatever her name was. Reading extremist right-wing propaganda wasn't nearly as enjoyable with some idiot looking over your shoulder.
"-who went through immensely painful and perverted toture before-"
Alex's head quickly shot up in response to a familiar feeling on the back of his neck. The increasing amount of students in the library stared at him for a second before looking away- and maybe even going to the back to look at the artist girl. Oh shit... do I have to get this attention everywhere in the fucking school?
Alex calmly, if slightly nervously, strolled back to the bookshelf and put the book back in its proper place.
BZZZZP!
Alex turned back to the sound. It was some freaky-looking punk girl... Viola or Violet or something... only to see her run out seconds later; Abigail futily trying to greet her.
With nothing left to do, Alex made his way to the exit- but was stopped by a familiar voice.
""Mm. Well, I heard the scanner go off as I was coming down the hall, and how many other people are here? None of you had better-"
Mrs. Collins was cut off by the all too familiar buzzing. Alex gently moved past Abigail and quickly cut in.
"We're not doing anything. Sure, we might have made some noise; sorry for that."
He walked back past the scanner, causing it to speak up yet again. He glanced back at Mrs. Collins and let out a sigh. " ...See? It's broken again."
She stared at him, stoned faced. " Mr. Cann, give me your bag." She doesn't really fucking think we're going to steal any of this crap? Still, he complied, and in about a minute, he was back on his way into the hallway.
Wow, thank god that I'm out of that place. I doubt I'll be back for a while.
((continued elsewhere))
Alex was extremely relieved when Tristain decided to stop bothering him and look at that artist girl... whatever her name was. Reading extremist right-wing propaganda wasn't nearly as enjoyable with some idiot looking over your shoulder.
"-who went through immensely painful and perverted toture before-"
Alex's head quickly shot up in response to a familiar feeling on the back of his neck. The increasing amount of students in the library stared at him for a second before looking away- and maybe even going to the back to look at the artist girl. Oh shit... do I have to get this attention everywhere in the fucking school?
Alex calmly, if slightly nervously, strolled back to the bookshelf and put the book back in its proper place.
BZZZZP!
Alex turned back to the sound. It was some freaky-looking punk girl... Viola or Violet or something... only to see her run out seconds later; Abigail futily trying to greet her.
With nothing left to do, Alex made his way to the exit- but was stopped by a familiar voice.
""Mm. Well, I heard the scanner go off as I was coming down the hall, and how many other people are here? None of you had better-"
Mrs. Collins was cut off by the all too familiar buzzing. Alex gently moved past Abigail and quickly cut in.
"We're not doing anything. Sure, we might have made some noise; sorry for that."
He walked back past the scanner, causing it to speak up yet again. He glanced back at Mrs. Collins and let out a sigh. " ...See? It's broken again."
She stared at him, stoned faced. " Mr. Cann, give me your bag." She doesn't really fucking think we're going to steal any of this crap? Still, he complied, and in about a minute, he was back on his way into the hallway.
Wow, thank god that I'm out of that place. I doubt I'll be back for a while.
((continued elsewhere))
Madeleine was blissfully unaware that she was attracting a crowd. A small group had gathered to watch what she was doing, but her focus was entirely on the bookshelf and her sketchpad. Her pencils glided at a relaxed rate across the page, turning a drawing of black and white into living color. "'The Shelf...'" she muttered to herself. "No, how about 'The Degradation of Literacy.' No, too pretentious. How about...."
BZZZZZZZTTTTTTTT!!!
Reflexively, Madeleine turned to see who had set off the alarm this time, and came face to face with those who had been watching her. "Guh!" she exclaimed, swallowing a desire to scream again. Instead, she stood up hurriedly, dropping pencils all over the carpeted floor, where they bounced in random directions before stopping mercifully close by. Pushing her sunglasses over her eyes, Madeleine knelt down and started picking her pencils up while her body visibly shook.
How did I get such a crowd? I'm not that good!
Her pencils all back in her box, Madeleine gave a nervous smile at those present and put her items back in her backpack, which she had also knocked over in her haste to stand up. "I-I'm not in your way, am I?" she said to the group, just as the school librarian entered with a buzz of her own.
Don't make eye contact with any of them. Above all, do not make eye contact.
BZZZZZZZTTTTTTTT!!!
Reflexively, Madeleine turned to see who had set off the alarm this time, and came face to face with those who had been watching her. "Guh!" she exclaimed, swallowing a desire to scream again. Instead, she stood up hurriedly, dropping pencils all over the carpeted floor, where they bounced in random directions before stopping mercifully close by. Pushing her sunglasses over her eyes, Madeleine knelt down and started picking her pencils up while her body visibly shook.
How did I get such a crowd? I'm not that good!
Her pencils all back in her box, Madeleine gave a nervous smile at those present and put her items back in her backpack, which she had also knocked over in her haste to stand up. "I-I'm not in your way, am I?" she said to the group, just as the school librarian entered with a buzz of her own.
Don't make eye contact with any of them. Above all, do not make eye contact.