Mmmhm.

[Thomas Wells]

Thomas sat by himself at a table in the library, tapping his foot to a song in his head and idly turning the pages of some ancient book. If he had to do this every day, he was bound to go insane.

This transferring in the middle of the school year left him with little choice, however. If only he hadn't brought the goddam weed to school - no, if only the janitor wasn't such an asshole, then he'd be at lunch, smoking outside with Elliott. Elliott. His best friend. They'd pass the cig back and forth until it was down to the filter. When they'd first met, Elliott wasn't a smoker. In the few short months following that day, both of their lives changed. Elliott started smoking. Thomas realized he was bisexual. Also, in love with his best friend.

It was watching him smoke that had done it. Watching him take in a breath, perfect lips around the paper... he couldn't wait to get that cigarette back, to have Elliott's mouth on his, even in some remote way.

..damn. Thinking about it was hard. He missed Elliott so much. It was like a constant ache...

he was going to Trex as soon as school let out.

[Viola Hastings]

Viola walked past the reference section of the library and into the historical fiction section. She was looking for L'Morte de Arthur for an english paper she needed to write.

She caught a glimpse of a gorgeous looking boy with longish hair and. . . almost lost her balance because she'd been leaning forward when she'd begun to stare. She shook her head and found herself flushing uncontrollably. Sometimes she could be such a girl. She quickly began searching for the book she needed.

[Thomas Wells]

((...poor Viola! She's always attracted to the gay ones! ...well, Thomas is bi.... hm.))

Thomas looked up abruptly as he heard someone walking through the aisles. Thank God he wasn't the only one in this place... he closed the book he hadn't been reading and stood, intent on talking to whomever it was and perhaps finding a book that was less boring.

He walked down an aisle and turned, almost running into the person in question.

"Shit, I'm sorry," he said, stopping inches before the almost-collision.

[Viola Hastings]

((lol wow she and I have a lot in common))

Viola looked up in time to see the guy she'd been staring at almost collide with her. Her hair obscured her face because she was hunched over a it which was convenient because she was blushing again. Damn it.

She took a moment to straighten herself up and flick her hair back out of her face.

"Oh, no it's fine," she said as casually as she could manage.

[Thomas Wells]

"Well... okay then," he said, smiling. He stuck out his hand hesitantly. "I'm Thomas, I'm new here."

[Viola Hastings]

She shook his hand firmly, believing you could tell a lot about a person by their hand shakes.

"Viola. . . Vi for short. Did you transfer from out of town. . .or St. James?" she asked curiosly.

[Thomas Wells]

Thomas shook her hand right back, his surprise at her good grip showing on his face.

"I'm from St. James, Vi," he replied, nodding, impressed. "How did you know?"

[Viola Hastings]

"Just a guess," she replied. "You look like a private school guy. They're prettier than public school boys."

Again, she sucked at speaking, but she'd said it and it was true. They had nicer hair and generally more intelligent looks about them than most of the prizes they had at GW High

[Thomas Wells]

Thomas raised his eyebrows. She was awfully forward, and he found that he really didn't mind at all.

"Ahm... well, thanks very much, Vi. I have to say that public school girls are much more attractive than private school ones... how odd," he replied. Private school girls were either sluts or bitches, or both. He'd barely met Vi, and she was nicer than any girl he'd met in his time at St. James.

[Viola Hastings]

Vi felt herself blush again, but didn't want to assume he meant her at all.

"What a crazy coincidence," she said. "So am I being too nosey if I ask why the transfer in the middle of the year?"

[Thomas Wells]

"Ah, no... it was a little case of an asshole janitor and some weed," he said, wincing. It sounded stupid, he knew... he hoped she wouldn't dislike him for it. He needed some friends here if he was going to survive.

[Viola Hastings]

"uh oh. . .so the truth comes out. . ." she said disappointedly. . .she said the last part over dramatically though. "You're a pothead. How disappointing. . ."

She tilted her head to the side and laughed a bit.

"Did they seriosuly kick you out for that? I can't go outside after school without seeing at least eight kids getting high."

[Thomas Wells]

"Yeah, I think private schools are a little more strict about that sort of thing, somehow..." he joked. "But I'm not a pothead... I just enjoy relaxing now and again. Have you ever tried it?" He only smoked pot on occasion... mostly with Elliott.

[Viola Hastings]

"Me?" she asked akwardly. She didn't want to sound uncool in front of him. sh ehad a feeling this was the kind of things health teachers warned kids about. . .not worrying about what other kids think.

"No, I've never actually tried it."

[jude]

Jude walked into the library only intending to drop off a book real quick when he saw the hot boy from the record store. He immediately felt his pulse quicken, awww man he was sooooo hot. He decided to stay a little longer to maybe even have a little chat with the boy, but then he noticed he was talking to girl that had helped him out the other day. His heart sank; fuck, he had to be straight then, oh well, he could still try perhaps. And then there was the girl, he guess he had been kinda rough on her considering she was only trying to help. One of Jude's biggest flaws was that he was so used to people being mean and nasty to him he had a hard time handling people actually being nice to him.

He took a deep breath, walked over to the girl and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey," he said, he tone apologetic, "I-I'm sorry I was kinda rude to you when you were helping me the other day, I mean it could have gotten really bad with my asthma and everything so. . . thanks."

[Viola Hastings]

Viola felt her heart sink when someone tapped her on the shoulder. . .now? Of all times now someone needed her attention? She turned around and saw the boy from the day before, and he was apologizing.

"Oh," she said uncertainly. "Well, it's fine. I can understand if you were a little upset. . .what with Randy and all. It's cool though."

[Thomas Wells]

((er... this is just before the record store.... we can pretend you're talking about a different day tho, he's there all the time))

Thomas was about to respond when a guy tapped Vi on the shoulder and apologized for something... he couldn't help but feel bad for him. Elliott had terrible allergies to a lot of things, and knew how bad things could get. This Vi girl was really nice.

[jude]

((ok, sorry, I've miss so much the time line is all screwy to me))

"Cool." said Jude then he turned to the HOT kid, "Um, are you new? I haven't seen you around before, well, not in school anyway."

[Thomas Wells]

"Yeah, I was just transferred here. Thomas Wells, at your service," he replied, smiling. He wasn't too bad at this making-friends thing.

[jude]

"I'm Jude Epstein." he said, "Resident school punching bag if you can believe it." Jude was gradually beginning to feel more comfortable with Thomas, he was starting to act more like himself.

[Thomas Wells]

"No shit. That's terrible," he replied, feeling even sorrier for the kid. Elliott had been the same way, until Thomas had stepped in.

[jude]

Jude shurgged. "I'm used to it." he said carelessly, "It's been happening to me since preschool, I just don't let it get to me."

[Viola Hastings]

Vi had remained quiet througout their conversation. She had never been subject to bullying persay. She'd been picked on a lot through high school and called a lesbian because she was such a tomboy.

"We have a resident asshole here," she interjected. "His name is Randy."

[Thomas Wells]

"Oh... man, that even sounds like an asshole name," Thomas replied, sticking his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. He would never let himself get used to being beat up on. It was wrong - he would defend himself and his friends to the death if necessary.

[Viola Hastings]

"Yeah it does," Viola said bitterly. "He likes to pick on anybody who he thinks isn't good enough. He loves picking on my best friend Kyan, calls him a fag. . . I'd like to kick his ass. . ."