He watched a bit lightly about the room as he pressed against his desk somewhat – wanting to rather wait out till a majority of his classmates had departed before he tried to get out the doorway. Edgar found himself distracted a bit when he noted moment from where Maggie had been, glancing her way as she seemed to move to say something but was cut off as a odd buzzing sound filtered throughout the air and Maggie went about digging through the side pocket of her backpack, producing a phone which she promptly answered; mouthing a word of sorry his way which he simply waved off with a smile and went back to watching his classmates exit the room.
Though when a audible, though from where he stood he couldn't make out the words, loud voice seemed to press over the chatter of his fellow classmates – Edgar almost couldn't help but cast a rather questioning glance Maggie's way. Listening lightly as she seemed to try and calm down the person on the other side of the line, speaking for a moment before giving parting words and closing her cell phone, Edgar finding himself watching a bit more as she went on explaining to him who that had been the copper-haired boy nodding slightly.
"Older brother?" He repeated... sifting his bag slightly. "By the sounds of it he sounds quite overprotective."
A passing emotion flashed through his mind, though before he allowed himself to act on it, pushed it back into the back. Shaking his head lightly as he found himself being questioned, Ed looking a bit thoughtful at the question before he questioned. "There's not that much to do... but I'm planning on either heading down to Parkway; heard they had some bookstore open that sells a lot of good books for half-price, or head downtown and find something to do until 5:30."
His attention drifted again from the door, to his watch, back to Maggie.
"What about you? You have anything planned?"
((Short, but I'm really blah at the moment. My groove just isn't there. I blame this cold.))
(Fragments of) Another Day in Homeroom*
What remains of a lost thread
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Taking note of Edgar's vocalized plans for the remainder of the day, Maggie smiled lightly, though the comment about her overprotective brother continued to ring out in her train of thought. Overprotective didn't even begin to describe the way Shawn oftentimes acted toward her, and she never really understood why. Perhaps it was simply because she was the baby of the Heartgreeder family, the only girl, and Shawn's only sibling. That's what she'd always written it off as, anyway.
"Bookstore, huh?"
She mused the thought almost absent-mindedly. She didn't go to Parkway often. Apparently, back in the day, it was quite the fancy-schmansy outdoor mall. Now, however, it was just a shell of its former self. The only shops that occupied the complex now were thrift and second-time-around shops, and the only time Maggie ever made a trip down there was to donate this or that to the Salvation Army that was stationed therein.
"I'm not much for novels and whatnot," she confessed, attempting to prolong the conversation at the obvious lack of effort on Edgar's part to barge from the doorway along with the herd of classmates currently exiting, "I like poetry. It's more personal... comes from the heart, you know?"
Truthfully, Maggie was quite the romantic. She enjoyed poetry because it oftentimes expressed a person's most intimate and personal thoughts. At least, the poetry she wrote always did. She often published it in the school paper, though she'd never own up to it being hers out of sheer embarrassment. Being a timid and almost reclusive person, she was almost afraid of what would come from her name being forever enscriptured beside some of the heartfelt and thoughtful poems she often wrote.
Her thoughts came to an abrupt hault as a tall figure appeared in the doorway of Mrs. Saranna's room, pushing by the teacher and the flood of students exiting the room with relative ease. Above the other students exiting the door, save one or two, a head full of gelled red hair was clearly visible: it was a trait Shawn Heartgreeder took from his father. Come to think of it, Shawn held quite the resemblance to their father, not bearing many of his mother's features at all. Maggie, on the other hand, was the spitting image if Juliya Heartgreeder in every sense of the word.
Shawn pushed through the room, the worried and frantic expression on his face gradually fading into a relieved smile as he saw that indeed, his baby sister was safe and sound as she'd proclaimed earlier. Inwardly breathing a sigh of relief, Shawn approached the blonde-haired girl who'd been instructed to wait on him, stopping only momentarily to cast a sidelong glance at the scrawny copper-headed boy who was currently engaged in conversation with his sister. A puzzled look passed over Shawn's features, he didn't have a clue who the kid was. Just as quickly, however, it faded away.
"Hey," Maggie mused, folding her arms over her chest lightly as her older brother approched herself and Edgar.
Although she caught the offhand glance he threw at the boy currently in her company, she did nothing to introduce the two, knowing that Shawn would most likely interrogate her about her newfound companion at the nearest opportunity. Of course, she would be right. Not giving Shawn time to get a word in edgewise, she spoke up once again, her voice gradually becoming more audible as the herd of students filtered from the room.
"So where to now?" she inquired.
That was the question of the day, indeed. Neither Mister nor Missus Heartgreeder were currently at the house, as school had let out quite early. Truth was, they were probably stuck in that traffic jam outside that still congested the nearby roadway. Purely for that reason, "home" didn't seem the logical place to go. Shawn shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. He didn't care.
"I dunno," he muttered, all the while casting a somewhat disgusted glare at some of the lingering kids in the classroom, "What'd you have in mind?"
"It doesn't matter..."
Ever indecisive Maggie. Never one to speak up and make her own decisions, never one to protest the decisions that were made. Now, as always, was one of those times. Whatever Shawn said, she'd smile and go along with it willingly. It was just easier that way, she'd learned. Shawn, however, seemed to have no clue where their journey would next lead them, and for once, the pressure was put on Maggie. He once again shrugged his shoulders and leaned against the wobbly fixture of a desk that sat behind him, letting a yawn escape his lips.
"Bookstore, huh?"
She mused the thought almost absent-mindedly. She didn't go to Parkway often. Apparently, back in the day, it was quite the fancy-schmansy outdoor mall. Now, however, it was just a shell of its former self. The only shops that occupied the complex now were thrift and second-time-around shops, and the only time Maggie ever made a trip down there was to donate this or that to the Salvation Army that was stationed therein.
"I'm not much for novels and whatnot," she confessed, attempting to prolong the conversation at the obvious lack of effort on Edgar's part to barge from the doorway along with the herd of classmates currently exiting, "I like poetry. It's more personal... comes from the heart, you know?"
Truthfully, Maggie was quite the romantic. She enjoyed poetry because it oftentimes expressed a person's most intimate and personal thoughts. At least, the poetry she wrote always did. She often published it in the school paper, though she'd never own up to it being hers out of sheer embarrassment. Being a timid and almost reclusive person, she was almost afraid of what would come from her name being forever enscriptured beside some of the heartfelt and thoughtful poems she often wrote.
Her thoughts came to an abrupt hault as a tall figure appeared in the doorway of Mrs. Saranna's room, pushing by the teacher and the flood of students exiting the room with relative ease. Above the other students exiting the door, save one or two, a head full of gelled red hair was clearly visible: it was a trait Shawn Heartgreeder took from his father. Come to think of it, Shawn held quite the resemblance to their father, not bearing many of his mother's features at all. Maggie, on the other hand, was the spitting image if Juliya Heartgreeder in every sense of the word.
Shawn pushed through the room, the worried and frantic expression on his face gradually fading into a relieved smile as he saw that indeed, his baby sister was safe and sound as she'd proclaimed earlier. Inwardly breathing a sigh of relief, Shawn approached the blonde-haired girl who'd been instructed to wait on him, stopping only momentarily to cast a sidelong glance at the scrawny copper-headed boy who was currently engaged in conversation with his sister. A puzzled look passed over Shawn's features, he didn't have a clue who the kid was. Just as quickly, however, it faded away.
"Hey," Maggie mused, folding her arms over her chest lightly as her older brother approched herself and Edgar.
Although she caught the offhand glance he threw at the boy currently in her company, she did nothing to introduce the two, knowing that Shawn would most likely interrogate her about her newfound companion at the nearest opportunity. Of course, she would be right. Not giving Shawn time to get a word in edgewise, she spoke up once again, her voice gradually becoming more audible as the herd of students filtered from the room.
"So where to now?" she inquired.
That was the question of the day, indeed. Neither Mister nor Missus Heartgreeder were currently at the house, as school had let out quite early. Truth was, they were probably stuck in that traffic jam outside that still congested the nearby roadway. Purely for that reason, "home" didn't seem the logical place to go. Shawn shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. He didn't care.
"I dunno," he muttered, all the while casting a somewhat disgusted glare at some of the lingering kids in the classroom, "What'd you have in mind?"
"It doesn't matter..."
Ever indecisive Maggie. Never one to speak up and make her own decisions, never one to protest the decisions that were made. Now, as always, was one of those times. Whatever Shawn said, she'd smile and go along with it willingly. It was just easier that way, she'd learned. Shawn, however, seemed to have no clue where their journey would next lead them, and for once, the pressure was put on Maggie. He once again shrugged his shoulders and leaned against the wobbly fixture of a desk that sat behind him, letting a yawn escape his lips.
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(*melo-dramatic arm fail* *brain dead* x.x This sucks.)
He mused a bit, tilting his head somewhat as the girl spoke – a hand moving upward and wrapping about the curve of his neck to itch at a spot that had been bothering him for the past few moments. Smiling lightly as he fixed himself back upright, "Poetry?" He repeated, looking a bit thoughtful over the subject before shrugging a bit. "I've never been to fond of poetry truth be told – maybe perhaps because I can never get into them. Most these days are too short, and those that are longer after a while I can't understand what their trying to get at."
Poetry also seemed to be so focused around the subject of love – be it first, new, lost, stolen, dead, or broken – if there were any creative juices that a person had to write about it they did. Edgar just found highly over-rated in quite a few senses, though perhaps it was because he was still rather young in a sense, and something he wasn't interested in his daily life probably wouldn't interest him in the time he spent away from the said life. Novels on the other hand were always usually long, and he managed to find the right one could keep his interest until the very last page. Though as of late, the three bookstores located in the downtown mall where quite lacking in anything interesting, mostly books for teenyboppers, the whole 'love-at-first-sight' deal in all of them.
The thoughts were pressed a bit back when the sight of a person approaching them caught Edgar's attention, eyes casting up from where he had been focusing on the ground. Eyeing the red-haired male with a small look, figuring this to be Maggie's brother – though they certainly didn't look a thing like. A small look between confirmed this fact even more on this – perhaps they where half or maybe even more likely stepsiblings? Though he figured it best not to bring up the subject, this time, and place not being the truthfully best of the sorts. Ed instead allowed his attention to fall back on the brother who had walked in.
The offhanded glance in a somewhat confused manner of speaking sent his way caused Edgar to press a light smile of sorts against lips as he turned back to watching Maggie as a question was exchanged between the two siblings. Siblings. Lips pursed a bit in a thoughtful manner, he really wondered sometimes about what it would have been like to have a younger or older siblings around – childhood perhaps wouldn't have been so boring. Though by words exchanged between his family, and this other in New York that thought perhaps wouldn't be so far-fetched as he would have like to think; a older sibling – if he wasn't mistaken was only about thirteen to fourteen months older than he was.
Though supposed it all really didn't matter in the end...
Thoughts once more were pushed back as an odd buzzing sound pulsed through out the partly, now, empty classroom. Edgar casting his side bag a sidelong glance as he unzipped the said bag, removing the vibrating cell phone with a curious look. If it weren't for his parent's paranoia on what he did he wouldn't have one of things, and thus wouldn't have to worry about them. But since his mother's entrance into the hospital, his father seemed to have gotten even worse than before. And a glance at the screen, answered the already known question as he clicked the green button and placed it up along his ear. "Dad."
He now suddenly felt how Maggie felt just a second ago as a loud burst of a voice sounded from the other end, Ed closing his eyes for a brief moment as he brought the phone away from his ear. Least long enough for his father to clam down a slight bit, "No, no. I'm fine – really, I was in class when it happened so really – I assure you I'm not dead or anything, I am talking to you aren't I?"
Sometimes he wished his father wasn't a police officer for the state, and then perhaps he wouldn't get information so quickly. And Ed wouldn't have to deal with the likes of this, though after another moment of getting the 'ungrateful-son' speech that was quite common place between the father and son of the Judah family, he went on to more questions – though this at least he could answer. "Yeah, we got out of school early so I'm probably going to head down to Parkway for a bit and look around; after that I'm going to head to the hospital to see mom. I would go now, but I like she's in her therapy, and I don't have the patience to sit around in a hospital waiting room for long periods of time."
More talking – least on his dad's part was exchanged, Edgar answering when he needed to – more or less silly questions as to when he was going to get home, and what he was going to do for dinner. Though the next subject his father brought up hit a slight bit off-guard with him, "They what me to come to the funeral?" He muttered back in a curious tone, sighing in the end. "Well you can tell the doctors' sorry, I'm not one for them and further more I didn't know the kid."
The tone of voice was brought up to a higher yell again, Edgar casting a frown as he allowed his voice to drop.
"Brother or not you see what he did – it's all his fault this is happening."
That said he clicked the phone off and tossed it back into the inner workings of his bag, sighing as he glanced at his watch a bit. Frowning, glancing up he smiled a slight bit at Maggie. "Sorry, but I got to be off – if I want to catch my bus I should be going. It was nice talking to you today, I rather enjoyed having a nice conversation for once."
He mused a bit, tilting his head somewhat as the girl spoke – a hand moving upward and wrapping about the curve of his neck to itch at a spot that had been bothering him for the past few moments. Smiling lightly as he fixed himself back upright, "Poetry?" He repeated, looking a bit thoughtful over the subject before shrugging a bit. "I've never been to fond of poetry truth be told – maybe perhaps because I can never get into them. Most these days are too short, and those that are longer after a while I can't understand what their trying to get at."
Poetry also seemed to be so focused around the subject of love – be it first, new, lost, stolen, dead, or broken – if there were any creative juices that a person had to write about it they did. Edgar just found highly over-rated in quite a few senses, though perhaps it was because he was still rather young in a sense, and something he wasn't interested in his daily life probably wouldn't interest him in the time he spent away from the said life. Novels on the other hand were always usually long, and he managed to find the right one could keep his interest until the very last page. Though as of late, the three bookstores located in the downtown mall where quite lacking in anything interesting, mostly books for teenyboppers, the whole 'love-at-first-sight' deal in all of them.
The thoughts were pressed a bit back when the sight of a person approaching them caught Edgar's attention, eyes casting up from where he had been focusing on the ground. Eyeing the red-haired male with a small look, figuring this to be Maggie's brother – though they certainly didn't look a thing like. A small look between confirmed this fact even more on this – perhaps they where half or maybe even more likely stepsiblings? Though he figured it best not to bring up the subject, this time, and place not being the truthfully best of the sorts. Ed instead allowed his attention to fall back on the brother who had walked in.
The offhanded glance in a somewhat confused manner of speaking sent his way caused Edgar to press a light smile of sorts against lips as he turned back to watching Maggie as a question was exchanged between the two siblings. Siblings. Lips pursed a bit in a thoughtful manner, he really wondered sometimes about what it would have been like to have a younger or older siblings around – childhood perhaps wouldn't have been so boring. Though by words exchanged between his family, and this other in New York that thought perhaps wouldn't be so far-fetched as he would have like to think; a older sibling – if he wasn't mistaken was only about thirteen to fourteen months older than he was.
Though supposed it all really didn't matter in the end...
Thoughts once more were pushed back as an odd buzzing sound pulsed through out the partly, now, empty classroom. Edgar casting his side bag a sidelong glance as he unzipped the said bag, removing the vibrating cell phone with a curious look. If it weren't for his parent's paranoia on what he did he wouldn't have one of things, and thus wouldn't have to worry about them. But since his mother's entrance into the hospital, his father seemed to have gotten even worse than before. And a glance at the screen, answered the already known question as he clicked the green button and placed it up along his ear. "Dad."
He now suddenly felt how Maggie felt just a second ago as a loud burst of a voice sounded from the other end, Ed closing his eyes for a brief moment as he brought the phone away from his ear. Least long enough for his father to clam down a slight bit, "No, no. I'm fine – really, I was in class when it happened so really – I assure you I'm not dead or anything, I am talking to you aren't I?"
Sometimes he wished his father wasn't a police officer for the state, and then perhaps he wouldn't get information so quickly. And Ed wouldn't have to deal with the likes of this, though after another moment of getting the 'ungrateful-son' speech that was quite common place between the father and son of the Judah family, he went on to more questions – though this at least he could answer. "Yeah, we got out of school early so I'm probably going to head down to Parkway for a bit and look around; after that I'm going to head to the hospital to see mom. I would go now, but I like she's in her therapy, and I don't have the patience to sit around in a hospital waiting room for long periods of time."
More talking – least on his dad's part was exchanged, Edgar answering when he needed to – more or less silly questions as to when he was going to get home, and what he was going to do for dinner. Though the next subject his father brought up hit a slight bit off-guard with him, "They what me to come to the funeral?" He muttered back in a curious tone, sighing in the end. "Well you can tell the doctors' sorry, I'm not one for them and further more I didn't know the kid."
The tone of voice was brought up to a higher yell again, Edgar casting a frown as he allowed his voice to drop.
"Brother or not you see what he did – it's all his fault this is happening."
That said he clicked the phone off and tossed it back into the inner workings of his bag, sighing as he glanced at his watch a bit. Frowning, glancing up he smiled a slight bit at Maggie. "Sorry, but I got to be off – if I want to catch my bus I should be going. It was nice talking to you today, I rather enjoyed having a nice conversation for once."
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The buzzing noise in the side pocket of Edgar's bag caught Maggie's attention and she looked on in curiosity as the copper-haired boy fished the phone from the pocket and answered it momentarily. The booming voice that echoed from the other side was very reminiscent of the voice she'd encountered only minutes before in the form of the brother that had taken a leaning stance on the desk beside her. Shawn, too, appeared to be watching Edgar with a semblance of curiosity as he answered the phone.
The siblings exchanged a light glance between themselves, Maggie knowing full well that she'd been interrupted in the middle of their conversation not long ago by the ringing of a cell phone, and thus having an emphatic understanding of the copper-headed young man's current situation. Maggie couldn't help but allow a warm smile to grace her features as she overheard Edgar attempting to explain that he was indeed alive and well to his father.
Though in all honesty, she was curious as to how his father could've found out about the incident so quickly. Had it already been leaked out into the public? That was always a possibility, though the more likely one was that Ed's father had access to a police scanner or other device of the sort. Of course, that didn't really cross Maggie's mind. She had no idea what sort of work Edgar's father was employed in. The conversation was rather reminiscent of her last conversation with Shawn -- that is, until the words "funeral" came into play.
Knowing that it wasn't any of her business, but her curiosity piquing at the remark anyway, Maggie looked on, hoping Ed wouldn't mind the eavesdropping on the part of both herself and her brother. The truth was, it was hard not to hear a phone conversation when said person was standing only a few feet away from you. The sudden change in Edgar's voice to one of annoyance and what could almost be construed as hostility took Maggie by surprise, he'd been so calm and relaxed only moments before. Whatever was being said on the other end of that phone must have really gotten under his skin.
Just as quickly, Edgar had hung up the cell phone and had all but dismissed himself from his current company. Maggie, of course, was at a complete loss for words at what had just happened. Whatever Edgar's father had said had certainly seemed to rub the boy the wrong way, that much was a given. Casting a look of concern toward him, she gave him a sympathetic smile as he looked up at her. She'd considered inquiring about the phone conversation, but it really wasn't any of her business. Besides, based on his reactions to his father's words, she could only imagine it was a question best left unasked.
"It was good talking to you," she mused, hoping to avoid a potentially awkward situation. "Guess I'll see you in a few days."
Shawn, meanwhile, was looking off into the expanse of the virtually empty homeroom, save for a few groups of kids here and there who seemed to be lingering around the school for what he could only assume to be various reasons. Although the red-headed boy's phone conversation had sparked his interest as well, he had followed his sister's lead in avoiding the conversation. Sighing a bit as he stared at a Gothic-looking girl standing near two guys, he couldn't help but laugh inwardly at the group.
Really, he felt that way about most of the sophomores at Hobbsborough, save his sister and a select few other individuals. The majority of them were at the point in their lives where they were trying to find some sense of self, and when that happens... well, when that happens, you get Mortisha Addams and her overly feminine guy friend over there. If nothing else, the sophomores were good for a laugh. Most of them were either fifteen and in that awkard, pubescent point in their lives, or sixteen and believing they were invincible because they acquired a laminated piece of paper with their picture on it that stated that they could now officially drive in the state of New Jersey.
"Good to meet you."
The comment was addressed to the red-headed boy and was said almost half-heartedly. He didn't have a clue who the boy was, after all. It had just seemed the courteous thing to do, and Shawn didn't want to seem rude to one of his sister's friends, especially one that judging by the phone conversation wasn't having the best of times at home at present -- or so he could only imagine, what with all the talk of funerals and the consequences of someone's actions.
Tilting his head to the side and yawning idly, Shawn turned toward his sister, a smile forming on his face as he looked at the shorter girl. Going home just seemed pointless at the moment, and honestly, it had been a long while since he and Maggie had really spent any time together. Shawn was most at fault for that, he was the one who was always out with friends and whatnot, Maggie generally stayed at home. It was a shame, really. She was a pretty girl, least in her own right. She was kind, caring, compassionate to a tee. Polite. A person like that should have friends, she shouldn't spend all of her free time at home playing with the family dog.
"We should head out too," he mused, though still having no clue where to go, "Got anywhere in particular in mind?"
Shaking her head slightly, she responded a quick, "Not really," before casting her brother a smile, picking up her backpack, and heading toward the classroom exit, which was now not nearly as congested as it had been only moments before.
Shrugging his shoulders somewhat, Shawn followed en suite, walking behind his sister as she exited the classroom door. It was weird being in Mrs. Saranna's room again. He'd had her for homeroom last year, and needless to say, she hadn't been his favorite teacher. Adjusting the wire-rimmed glasses that adorned his face and idly running his hand through his goatee, Shawn contemplated places to go and things to do. He wasn't used to having free time, nor was he used to spending it with his sister. In truth, he found himself at a loss. He didn't really know what Maggie liked to do, and he couldn't help but feel bad for that.
As if she'd ever complain about where they went anyway. The girl never complained about anything. Ever. In a way, it was a quality Shawn strongly disliked about her. She needed to be more vocal. She was the sort of person whose toes you could step on and who you could insult to no end and she would just smile and take it in stride. People like that were bound to get hurt eventually, and bad. Shawn knew, he used to be one. It had been his sophomore year, the first girl he'd ever dated had virtually ripped his heart out and stomped on it, and that was when Shawn adopted the almost cynical personality he was now owner of. He was determined not to let that happen to his little sister.
The two walked in silence down the flight of stairs through the deserted and desolate place known as Hobbsborough High School, every so often passing a police officer who had remained on the scene to further investigate the happenings surrounding the death of Kim Jones-Larame. A chill ran down Maggie's spine as she caught site of the bathroom in which Kim had died, but she didn't bother to vocalize the thought. Instead, she and Shawn hastily made their way outside and toward the red Dodge Ram that was one of the few remaining vehicles left in the parking lot of the high school after the students had been sent home.
((Continued in: The Fiction We Live))
The siblings exchanged a light glance between themselves, Maggie knowing full well that she'd been interrupted in the middle of their conversation not long ago by the ringing of a cell phone, and thus having an emphatic understanding of the copper-headed young man's current situation. Maggie couldn't help but allow a warm smile to grace her features as she overheard Edgar attempting to explain that he was indeed alive and well to his father.
Though in all honesty, she was curious as to how his father could've found out about the incident so quickly. Had it already been leaked out into the public? That was always a possibility, though the more likely one was that Ed's father had access to a police scanner or other device of the sort. Of course, that didn't really cross Maggie's mind. She had no idea what sort of work Edgar's father was employed in. The conversation was rather reminiscent of her last conversation with Shawn -- that is, until the words "funeral" came into play.
Knowing that it wasn't any of her business, but her curiosity piquing at the remark anyway, Maggie looked on, hoping Ed wouldn't mind the eavesdropping on the part of both herself and her brother. The truth was, it was hard not to hear a phone conversation when said person was standing only a few feet away from you. The sudden change in Edgar's voice to one of annoyance and what could almost be construed as hostility took Maggie by surprise, he'd been so calm and relaxed only moments before. Whatever was being said on the other end of that phone must have really gotten under his skin.
Just as quickly, Edgar had hung up the cell phone and had all but dismissed himself from his current company. Maggie, of course, was at a complete loss for words at what had just happened. Whatever Edgar's father had said had certainly seemed to rub the boy the wrong way, that much was a given. Casting a look of concern toward him, she gave him a sympathetic smile as he looked up at her. She'd considered inquiring about the phone conversation, but it really wasn't any of her business. Besides, based on his reactions to his father's words, she could only imagine it was a question best left unasked.
"It was good talking to you," she mused, hoping to avoid a potentially awkward situation. "Guess I'll see you in a few days."
Shawn, meanwhile, was looking off into the expanse of the virtually empty homeroom, save for a few groups of kids here and there who seemed to be lingering around the school for what he could only assume to be various reasons. Although the red-headed boy's phone conversation had sparked his interest as well, he had followed his sister's lead in avoiding the conversation. Sighing a bit as he stared at a Gothic-looking girl standing near two guys, he couldn't help but laugh inwardly at the group.
Really, he felt that way about most of the sophomores at Hobbsborough, save his sister and a select few other individuals. The majority of them were at the point in their lives where they were trying to find some sense of self, and when that happens... well, when that happens, you get Mortisha Addams and her overly feminine guy friend over there. If nothing else, the sophomores were good for a laugh. Most of them were either fifteen and in that awkard, pubescent point in their lives, or sixteen and believing they were invincible because they acquired a laminated piece of paper with their picture on it that stated that they could now officially drive in the state of New Jersey.
"Good to meet you."
The comment was addressed to the red-headed boy and was said almost half-heartedly. He didn't have a clue who the boy was, after all. It had just seemed the courteous thing to do, and Shawn didn't want to seem rude to one of his sister's friends, especially one that judging by the phone conversation wasn't having the best of times at home at present -- or so he could only imagine, what with all the talk of funerals and the consequences of someone's actions.
Tilting his head to the side and yawning idly, Shawn turned toward his sister, a smile forming on his face as he looked at the shorter girl. Going home just seemed pointless at the moment, and honestly, it had been a long while since he and Maggie had really spent any time together. Shawn was most at fault for that, he was the one who was always out with friends and whatnot, Maggie generally stayed at home. It was a shame, really. She was a pretty girl, least in her own right. She was kind, caring, compassionate to a tee. Polite. A person like that should have friends, she shouldn't spend all of her free time at home playing with the family dog.
"We should head out too," he mused, though still having no clue where to go, "Got anywhere in particular in mind?"
Shaking her head slightly, she responded a quick, "Not really," before casting her brother a smile, picking up her backpack, and heading toward the classroom exit, which was now not nearly as congested as it had been only moments before.
Shrugging his shoulders somewhat, Shawn followed en suite, walking behind his sister as she exited the classroom door. It was weird being in Mrs. Saranna's room again. He'd had her for homeroom last year, and needless to say, she hadn't been his favorite teacher. Adjusting the wire-rimmed glasses that adorned his face and idly running his hand through his goatee, Shawn contemplated places to go and things to do. He wasn't used to having free time, nor was he used to spending it with his sister. In truth, he found himself at a loss. He didn't really know what Maggie liked to do, and he couldn't help but feel bad for that.
As if she'd ever complain about where they went anyway. The girl never complained about anything. Ever. In a way, it was a quality Shawn strongly disliked about her. She needed to be more vocal. She was the sort of person whose toes you could step on and who you could insult to no end and she would just smile and take it in stride. People like that were bound to get hurt eventually, and bad. Shawn knew, he used to be one. It had been his sophomore year, the first girl he'd ever dated had virtually ripped his heart out and stomped on it, and that was when Shawn adopted the almost cynical personality he was now owner of. He was determined not to let that happen to his little sister.
The two walked in silence down the flight of stairs through the deserted and desolate place known as Hobbsborough High School, every so often passing a police officer who had remained on the scene to further investigate the happenings surrounding the death of Kim Jones-Larame. A chill ran down Maggie's spine as she caught site of the bathroom in which Kim had died, but she didn't bother to vocalize the thought. Instead, she and Shawn hastily made their way outside and toward the red Dodge Ram that was one of the few remaining vehicles left in the parking lot of the high school after the students had been sent home.
((Continued in: The Fiction We Live))
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