He hadn't much cared to play the game of human interaction anywhere particularly loud in case he drew a bad hand, and he wasn't hungry enough to warrant eating.
So he'd gone to the first place that came to mind to relax.
Julien Leblanc - Pregame: Start
Julien entered the library with the smooth tones of Earth, Wind and Fire playing as background noise in his ears, returning a book to the receptionist as soon as he got to the desk. He could somewhat see why people recommended Kafka even if he definitely didn't take a fancy to what he'd read. It was quite an experience to witness just how relentlessly bleak an artist could make their works, that much was for sure.
Walking further in, his eyes flitted around looking for a table to sit at. It had to be just right, not too occupied to get a foot in the door and not empty so he wouldn't be stuck with just his own mind, Maurice White, Philip Bailey and a bunch of backing musicians for company. Didn't take him too long to find one that fit the bill even at this time of the day either. He didn't know the pair sitting at it and talking among themselves but hey, what were strangers but friends you just hadn't met yet?
He was thankfully able to at least remember something about them as he approached too. Gerow and Dragosavich... Julien didn't know much beyond that, but sharing classes with them had at least left that much embedded in his skull. There was a brief pang of annoyance as he realised he was going to try and talk to them when he didn't even really know their names, but it was stifled by the reasoning that he could surely get by well enough despite that so long as he took the right approach.
The right balance was important for this kind of thing. Polite, but not stilted and turning the atmosphere a few more notches toward awkward than acceptable just by being in the general vicinity. Casual, but not so laid-back that it'd stick out too much to people he didn't know. Friendly, but not blatantly trying to cram himself into something that was already going on.
Julien shut the music in his ears off and put the most natural smile he was capable of on his face as he set his hand on an unoccupied seat and tried his hardest to boot all the fucking heckling in his mind straight on out. He could manage this much.
"Room for one more here, or should I look for another table?"
Five Crooked Lines
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MurderWeasel
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"The basis? More or less," Alton said when Morgan brought up the road trip again. "And I guess it is a risk."
That was something that hadn't quite occurred to him. Or maybe that wasn't exactly right; obviously he was aware that there was the potential for things to go wrong on his venture. But wasn't there similar risk to any endeavor? He could crash through a guardrail on the Turnpike and plummet to his death, but he could also go over the side of Walnut Street Bridge with similar results. Staying within one's comfort zone was a good way to feel safer, but not necessarily to be safer. And really, where was the fun in feeling safe?
Alton felt a whole lot safer in Chattanooga than he had growing up. It had bored him out of his mind at first, before he'd learned to find the bright spots. Getting the skinny on the class bullies wasn't about knowing who to avoid for fear of getting jumped on the way home anymore, but that didn't mean it held no interest. Networking was no longer about safety in information and numbers, but he could put the same skills he'd cultivated to use for a new, more exciting purpose. He learned who was interesting, and why, and in this way he found or created situations to enrich his life and keep the apathy at bay. Take, for instance, this trip to the library and this conversation with Morgan. And at the same time, Alton still had his instincts, still knew how to spot trouble coming and slip the noose.
He broke his hands apart and drummed his all eight of his non-thumb fingers on the table, but softly, with the tips instead of the nails. They were still in a library. As he did, he caught sight of someone heading their way out of the corner of his eye, a boy he thought, but he didn't turn yet to check.
"My mom isn't too worried," Alton said, dodging around that awkward little pluralization in Morgan's admissions. "Just have to prove you're responsible."
It was true enough, albeit stripped of complexity and nuance. Alton's mother wasn't one to keep him on a short leash, and that was best for both of them. She'd been there with him, knew exactly why he was how and who he was. She was a big part of it. He forgot that sometimes. So if he said he wanted to do something and it wasn't obviously going to be a disaster, she said okay.
The newcomer approached further as Alton spoke, and he turned and gave the guy a smile as he asked if he could join them. Julien Leblanc. That one took a second, and Alton was good with names and faces. Julien was... quiet. Introvert. Interesting scar but he usually tried to cover it. That was what actually clicked his name to his face for Alton; Leblanc was a good surname for a guy with an interesting scar. Alton was pretty sure Julien had picked up his injury since the start of high school, but that was the sum total of his knowledge of the guy, which made him legitimately intriguing.
"The more the merrier, Julien," Alton said. He stretched his leg under the table, using his foot to push the chair the boy was resting his hand on out a little, a gesture of welcome. He nodded, smiled wider, waved his right hand vaguely in the air, a full rotation of his wrist. "Morgan and I were just talking about school and summer."
That was something that hadn't quite occurred to him. Or maybe that wasn't exactly right; obviously he was aware that there was the potential for things to go wrong on his venture. But wasn't there similar risk to any endeavor? He could crash through a guardrail on the Turnpike and plummet to his death, but he could also go over the side of Walnut Street Bridge with similar results. Staying within one's comfort zone was a good way to feel safer, but not necessarily to be safer. And really, where was the fun in feeling safe?
Alton felt a whole lot safer in Chattanooga than he had growing up. It had bored him out of his mind at first, before he'd learned to find the bright spots. Getting the skinny on the class bullies wasn't about knowing who to avoid for fear of getting jumped on the way home anymore, but that didn't mean it held no interest. Networking was no longer about safety in information and numbers, but he could put the same skills he'd cultivated to use for a new, more exciting purpose. He learned who was interesting, and why, and in this way he found or created situations to enrich his life and keep the apathy at bay. Take, for instance, this trip to the library and this conversation with Morgan. And at the same time, Alton still had his instincts, still knew how to spot trouble coming and slip the noose.
He broke his hands apart and drummed his all eight of his non-thumb fingers on the table, but softly, with the tips instead of the nails. They were still in a library. As he did, he caught sight of someone heading their way out of the corner of his eye, a boy he thought, but he didn't turn yet to check.
"My mom isn't too worried," Alton said, dodging around that awkward little pluralization in Morgan's admissions. "Just have to prove you're responsible."
It was true enough, albeit stripped of complexity and nuance. Alton's mother wasn't one to keep him on a short leash, and that was best for both of them. She'd been there with him, knew exactly why he was how and who he was. She was a big part of it. He forgot that sometimes. So if he said he wanted to do something and it wasn't obviously going to be a disaster, she said okay.
The newcomer approached further as Alton spoke, and he turned and gave the guy a smile as he asked if he could join them. Julien Leblanc. That one took a second, and Alton was good with names and faces. Julien was... quiet. Introvert. Interesting scar but he usually tried to cover it. That was what actually clicked his name to his face for Alton; Leblanc was a good surname for a guy with an interesting scar. Alton was pretty sure Julien had picked up his injury since the start of high school, but that was the sum total of his knowledge of the guy, which made him legitimately intriguing.
"The more the merrier, Julien," Alton said. He stretched his leg under the table, using his foot to push the chair the boy was resting his hand on out a little, a gesture of welcome. He nodded, smiled wider, waved his right hand vaguely in the air, a full rotation of his wrist. "Morgan and I were just talking about school and summer."
Avatar art by the lovely and inimitable Kotorikun
Proving to one's parents that you possessed responsibility was a usual rite-of-passage for most teenagers. Morgan grimaced a little. Ever since the incident in the garage, Morgan being able to possess any kind of responsibility whatsoever was not something that his father, at least, would ever fathom. While yeah, it had been serious, and yeah, his mother had almost died, it had been an accident. Morgan hadn't had malicious intent - he loved his mother, dearly.
His father still held him responsible, and it almost felt like he was holding a grudge, too.
"Tough crowd, though," he paused, tapping his knapsack a few times as he looked down studied the straps on his bag.
Morgan's reverie was broken by the introduction of someone new, a face that he didn't immediately realize. The name of the kid was fleeting, but he'd certainly seen him around. One didn't forget a face like that. He blinked, harshly judging himself for a moment. God - what a horrible thing to think about someone. It was about as kind as saying that one had a face for radio.
Of course, a common saying also said that chicks dug scars, so in that case, this kid - Julien, apparently, was set. Not one to turn away anyone who wasn't a proven asshole, Morgan joined in, waving him towards the empty chair. He was silently thankful for Alton's socially apt nature, having saved Morgan the ignominy of having to ask for the kid's name. Or even worse, going through an entire conversation without knowing it.
"That's right. School, summer, and all of the shit in between. Which I guess is school, when you think about it."
Morgan gave the kid another lazy look, trying to figure out if he'd ever actually had a conversation with the mysterious Julien. The more he thought, the less his mind felt to focus. He'd just go with a no and leave it at that.
"So question of the day for you, Julien: have you done the expected and planned the rest of your life out yet," he rolled his eyes, again forgetting that he was in a library as the tone of his voice rose. "Or are you in the same boat as the rest of us bums?"
His father still held him responsible, and it almost felt like he was holding a grudge, too.
"Tough crowd, though," he paused, tapping his knapsack a few times as he looked down studied the straps on his bag.
Morgan's reverie was broken by the introduction of someone new, a face that he didn't immediately realize. The name of the kid was fleeting, but he'd certainly seen him around. One didn't forget a face like that. He blinked, harshly judging himself for a moment. God - what a horrible thing to think about someone. It was about as kind as saying that one had a face for radio.
Of course, a common saying also said that chicks dug scars, so in that case, this kid - Julien, apparently, was set. Not one to turn away anyone who wasn't a proven asshole, Morgan joined in, waving him towards the empty chair. He was silently thankful for Alton's socially apt nature, having saved Morgan the ignominy of having to ask for the kid's name. Or even worse, going through an entire conversation without knowing it.
"That's right. School, summer, and all of the shit in between. Which I guess is school, when you think about it."
Morgan gave the kid another lazy look, trying to figure out if he'd ever actually had a conversation with the mysterious Julien. The more he thought, the less his mind felt to focus. He'd just go with a no and leave it at that.
"So question of the day for you, Julien: have you done the expected and planned the rest of your life out yet," he rolled his eyes, again forgetting that he was in a library as the tone of his voice rose. "Or are you in the same boat as the rest of us bums?"
Julien took the seat presented to him, happy to be a part of the proceedings now he could confirm that he'd gotten it right.
"Thank you. Summer, huh?" He said after Alton filled him in on what they'd been talking about. He was still in the middle of thinking about it, the lack of a prompt response making it somewhat telling that he really didn't have anything special planned at all, when Morgan asked him if he'd made any arrangements for his future in the longer term. Just his luck for that to be the very first question he got...
But he couldn't let it get to him, not least since these two were clearly quite chilled and there wasn't any hidden intent behind asking the question he'd been wrestling with a lot himself as of late. So Julien went with the only answer he could really give without being blatantly dishonest about it.
"Oh, I wish I was. As things stand for me right now, I don't even really have a boat to sit in."
Sure, it wasn't like he didn't have any options available to him, but really that was the easy part. What if he dedicated himself to something and then found it his heart wasn't in it and got cold feet two, three years down the line or so? Where would that leave him?
"Thank you. Summer, huh?" He said after Alton filled him in on what they'd been talking about. He was still in the middle of thinking about it, the lack of a prompt response making it somewhat telling that he really didn't have anything special planned at all, when Morgan asked him if he'd made any arrangements for his future in the longer term. Just his luck for that to be the very first question he got...
But he couldn't let it get to him, not least since these two were clearly quite chilled and there wasn't any hidden intent behind asking the question he'd been wrestling with a lot himself as of late. So Julien went with the only answer he could really give without being blatantly dishonest about it.
"Oh, I wish I was. As things stand for me right now, I don't even really have a boat to sit in."
Sure, it wasn't like he didn't have any options available to him, but really that was the easy part. What if he dedicated himself to something and then found it his heart wasn't in it and got cold feet two, three years down the line or so? Where would that leave him?
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MurderWeasel
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School was all of the shit in between. Alton liked that. It summed up the problem with school succinctly. School wasn't the highlight of the average student's day, especially not the learning part. It was something they were forced into, something that ate up chunks of their lives they'd've preferred to spend otherwise. To a degree, it made sense. Alton could admit that much. Ignorance was a problem, but one the school system countered only in theory. There was so little done for those who didn't learn in the typical fashions. Nothing was worse than grasping a concept and then being forced into rote repetition for another three weeks because the guy in the back of class who smoked a bowl in the bathroom over lunch and probably ate too much play dough as a kid couldn't remember a simple trigonometric mnemonic.
Alton snaked his leg back to his side of the table as Julien sat, leaning in so the adjustment looked natural and resting his elbows on the table. Morgan spoke, giving the boy a way into the conversation, and Alton smiled and watched and most importantly listened.
No plans, huh? That was the first thing he filed away about Julien. No plans, not even a boat to sit in. That was a good turn of phrase. Alton was impressed, more so than he'd care to admit. He didn't like underestimating people. This was why it paid to talk with the quiet kids sometimes.
"Nothing wrong with that," Alton said. "There's always time. And if not, there's nothing you can do about it."
Alton snaked his leg back to his side of the table as Julien sat, leaning in so the adjustment looked natural and resting his elbows on the table. Morgan spoke, giving the boy a way into the conversation, and Alton smiled and watched and most importantly listened.
No plans, huh? That was the first thing he filed away about Julien. No plans, not even a boat to sit in. That was a good turn of phrase. Alton was impressed, more so than he'd care to admit. He didn't like underestimating people. This was why it paid to talk with the quiet kids sometimes.
"Nothing wrong with that," Alton said. "There's always time. And if not, there's nothing you can do about it."
Avatar art by the lovely and inimitable Kotorikun
A boat to sit in? That was a great way to say that. There was no doubt a-boat it.
Morgan shut his eyes momentarily, giving himself all of the castigation he could muster for that horrendous pun. Was it even a pun? He wasn't sure it would even qualify. Even worse, it sounded like something his father would have said, before he stopped being remotely enjoyable to be around.
It was a dad-joke. Awful.
Morgan opened his eyes back up to the conversation happening in front of him. Alton was correct, it wasn't as though they were at the end of their rope in life, or anything. There was still quite a few years for many of them to go, and anyone who didn't end up living all that long was bound to the twisted arms of fate. Enjoying the time you had? Morgan was all for that.
It was just a shame you had to make actually adult decisions along the way.
"He's right, you know," Morgan pointed a finger at Alton. "They say more people these days are taking a victory lap or a year off before they finally decide to go and enter the real world." There went his misguided volume level once more.
"But still..." Morgan stretched his arms out, and paused for a moment, waiting until his shoulders gave a slight pop.
"Be nice to at least have a direction to head," he smirked as he made the dreadful decision to continue along the nautically-themed metaphor trail. "A rudder to steer you by, so to speak."
Awful.
He supposed that his father would have approved. Or not, depending what way the stick up his ass was pointing. Morgan could never quite tell these days - lately, half of his motivation to leave the house was just to avoid confrontation.
Morgan shut his eyes momentarily, giving himself all of the castigation he could muster for that horrendous pun. Was it even a pun? He wasn't sure it would even qualify. Even worse, it sounded like something his father would have said, before he stopped being remotely enjoyable to be around.
It was a dad-joke. Awful.
Morgan opened his eyes back up to the conversation happening in front of him. Alton was correct, it wasn't as though they were at the end of their rope in life, or anything. There was still quite a few years for many of them to go, and anyone who didn't end up living all that long was bound to the twisted arms of fate. Enjoying the time you had? Morgan was all for that.
It was just a shame you had to make actually adult decisions along the way.
"He's right, you know," Morgan pointed a finger at Alton. "They say more people these days are taking a victory lap or a year off before they finally decide to go and enter the real world." There went his misguided volume level once more.
"But still..." Morgan stretched his arms out, and paused for a moment, waiting until his shoulders gave a slight pop.
"Be nice to at least have a direction to head," he smirked as he made the dreadful decision to continue along the nautically-themed metaphor trail. "A rudder to steer you by, so to speak."
Awful.
He supposed that his father would have approved. Or not, depending what way the stick up his ass was pointing. Morgan could never quite tell these days - lately, half of his motivation to leave the house was just to avoid confrontation.
"Nothing to be done about it, huh? Yeah... Yeah, I can get behind that way of saying it," Julien said. "Use the time you have well instead of just pissing it all away."
He really hadn't expected this to be what he wound up talking about, but for once he wasn't bothered. Any other occasion and he'd have fallen back on dwelling silently while he tried to figure out why that was, but since they held Julien's attention by way of actually having meaningful opinions about it, it didn't even cross his mind.
"As for that..." Julien visibly relaxed, pulling out his earphones and letting them dangle from the collar of his shirt as he leaned back a little. "If you ask me it's better to take a while and be sure about what way you want to go than head right in and risk getting lost at sea like some people seem to do." He couldn't help feeling like the metaphors were a slightly odd choice but hey, Morgan was the one who'd started it. It helped that being able to pretend they were just talking about sailing instead of life choices made it that much easier to stomach as well.
Though it wasn't lost on him that he really needed to talk to his parents about this at some point, instead of always putting it off by saying the time didn't feel right, that he'd do it when they had the time to sit down and discuss it properly, that he didn't want to cause them unneeded stress or whatever excuse he made when something lured him into thinking about it.
He really hadn't expected this to be what he wound up talking about, but for once he wasn't bothered. Any other occasion and he'd have fallen back on dwelling silently while he tried to figure out why that was, but since they held Julien's attention by way of actually having meaningful opinions about it, it didn't even cross his mind.
"As for that..." Julien visibly relaxed, pulling out his earphones and letting them dangle from the collar of his shirt as he leaned back a little. "If you ask me it's better to take a while and be sure about what way you want to go than head right in and risk getting lost at sea like some people seem to do." He couldn't help feeling like the metaphors were a slightly odd choice but hey, Morgan was the one who'd started it. It helped that being able to pretend they were just talking about sailing instead of life choices made it that much easier to stomach as well.
Though it wasn't lost on him that he really needed to talk to his parents about this at some point, instead of always putting it off by saying the time didn't feel right, that he'd do it when they had the time to sit down and discuss it properly, that he didn't want to cause them unneeded stress or whatever excuse he made when something lured him into thinking about it.
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MurderWeasel
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"Waiting can be smart," Alton said, leaning forward a little more and bringing his hands together to form a cradle for his chin, "or it can paralyze you. It's easy to get stuck and call it caution."
The conversation ebbed and flowed like the tide along the coast, and that thought brought Alton a moment of distraction, faint recollections of an amusement park he'd only ever gotten to go to once near the start of middle school, on a friend's birthday. They'd had corn dogs and fried clams and funnel cake, and when his mom had picked him up the two of them had walked along the coast, past the marina and out along the shoreline, all the way to the pier. He'd asked her if they could go back to the park someday, together, and she'd promised him that they would, but when the time came where it was possible they'd both been so excited by all the other possibilities that it hadn't crossed either of their minds. It only came to him now, this flash of memory spurred by nothing, but he realized that he didn't regret missing out. He'd been occupied by good things, great things. Why agonize over the path not taken? That's what Robert Frost had really been talking about, but nobody ever realized that nowadays.
Alton rocked his head side to side, his chin rolling against his fingers.
"You can float forever, but you never get anywhere. When the alternative is sinking, though, you learn to swim in a hurry. "
He raised his eyebrows once, twice, and widened his grin. He was in danger of tiring his cheeks out at this rate. Who would've guessed Morgan and Julien for witty conversationalists? But again, that was why Alton tried to get to know other people. There were so many hidden little details. Yuki's uncertainty, Morgan's philosophical bent, Julien's unexpected engagement with relative strangers, it was all surprising and yet made its own perfect sense. That was why Alton wanted to know everything about it.
He bumped his shoulders up and down in a partial shrug while keeping his hands and head level.
"But what do I know? I'm out of my depth."
The conversation ebbed and flowed like the tide along the coast, and that thought brought Alton a moment of distraction, faint recollections of an amusement park he'd only ever gotten to go to once near the start of middle school, on a friend's birthday. They'd had corn dogs and fried clams and funnel cake, and when his mom had picked him up the two of them had walked along the coast, past the marina and out along the shoreline, all the way to the pier. He'd asked her if they could go back to the park someday, together, and she'd promised him that they would, but when the time came where it was possible they'd both been so excited by all the other possibilities that it hadn't crossed either of their minds. It only came to him now, this flash of memory spurred by nothing, but he realized that he didn't regret missing out. He'd been occupied by good things, great things. Why agonize over the path not taken? That's what Robert Frost had really been talking about, but nobody ever realized that nowadays.
Alton rocked his head side to side, his chin rolling against his fingers.
"You can float forever, but you never get anywhere. When the alternative is sinking, though, you learn to swim in a hurry. "
He raised his eyebrows once, twice, and widened his grin. He was in danger of tiring his cheeks out at this rate. Who would've guessed Morgan and Julien for witty conversationalists? But again, that was why Alton tried to get to know other people. There were so many hidden little details. Yuki's uncertainty, Morgan's philosophical bent, Julien's unexpected engagement with relative strangers, it was all surprising and yet made its own perfect sense. That was why Alton wanted to know everything about it.
He bumped his shoulders up and down in a partial shrug while keeping his hands and head level.
"But what do I know? I'm out of my depth."
Avatar art by the lovely and inimitable Kotorikun
Morgan found himself nodding along with Alton's continuation of the seemingly nautical theme of the metaphors that continued to be thrown around. It was almost comical, but there were some good points being made. He couldn't help wonder if Alton was just showing off, carrying on the theme for fun. The boy he'd been in conversation with for the last little while now was undoubtedly smart and saw the world in a way that seemed to imply that he held more of a big-picture view, as opposed to just worrying about all of the small nitty-gritty all of the time.
It was almost a shame that it had taken the two of them this long to have a legit conversation.
"People are sturdy, though. We adapt, we evolve. Some people sink to the bottom, others realize really quickly how to tread water." Morgan shifted his knapsack over so that he could rest his elbow on it, allowing his hand to hold up his head.
"That's the goal, right? In the end, we all just want to be self-sufficient people who can take care of ourselves. Move away from home, manage not to get food poisoning or starve to death. Finish school, find a career... be an adult?" Morgan scowled, like it was a dirty word. To him, it almost was. The last thing he could imagine himself being was a responsible, prim and proper member of society.
And yet, that was the trajectory that he strove towards. Doing this project and going above and beyond on it, studying for the SATs, even looking into colleges... it was all done with the end goal in mind of following in the footsteps of the adults who educated them, of the parents who raised them. Sure, there were other reasons - both Alton and Morgan both seemed to want to escape their immediate surroundings in the soonest time possible, but did anything else truly drive them aside from a belief to see the world that was out there and around them?
He could think of one thing.
"You know, college is going to have one key advantage over high school that we honestly can't ignore," Morgan said, his thoughtful expression turning mischievous.
"Think of all the cute college girls! They don't make those coming-of-age college sex comedies for no reason, right?" He glanced at Julien, intending to gauge his response. He didn't know the kid very well, but Morgan assumed that he probably didn't have much in the way of a dating life. Hell, neither did he, but he'd gotten lucky a few times here and there, and if he could do it, then hey, so could Julien.
Besides, he'd be able to find out once and for all if chicks really did dig scars.
It was almost a shame that it had taken the two of them this long to have a legit conversation.
"People are sturdy, though. We adapt, we evolve. Some people sink to the bottom, others realize really quickly how to tread water." Morgan shifted his knapsack over so that he could rest his elbow on it, allowing his hand to hold up his head.
"That's the goal, right? In the end, we all just want to be self-sufficient people who can take care of ourselves. Move away from home, manage not to get food poisoning or starve to death. Finish school, find a career... be an adult?" Morgan scowled, like it was a dirty word. To him, it almost was. The last thing he could imagine himself being was a responsible, prim and proper member of society.
And yet, that was the trajectory that he strove towards. Doing this project and going above and beyond on it, studying for the SATs, even looking into colleges... it was all done with the end goal in mind of following in the footsteps of the adults who educated them, of the parents who raised them. Sure, there were other reasons - both Alton and Morgan both seemed to want to escape their immediate surroundings in the soonest time possible, but did anything else truly drive them aside from a belief to see the world that was out there and around them?
He could think of one thing.
"You know, college is going to have one key advantage over high school that we honestly can't ignore," Morgan said, his thoughtful expression turning mischievous.
"Think of all the cute college girls! They don't make those coming-of-age college sex comedies for no reason, right?" He glanced at Julien, intending to gauge his response. He didn't know the kid very well, but Morgan assumed that he probably didn't have much in the way of a dating life. Hell, neither did he, but he'd gotten lucky a few times here and there, and if he could do it, then hey, so could Julien.
Besides, he'd be able to find out once and for all if chicks really did dig scars.
"Hey, even if you do get stuck it won't be forever. The tide always rolls in to pull you out to sea, it just takes longer for some people," Julien said. "And yeah, Morgan's right. I think everyone wants to feel like they can look out for themselves at some point... but I do feel like being an adult isn't really what a lot of people think it is. Getting a job, a house or whatever isn't exactly the be-all, end-all of it."
He had no plans to be one of those people who put on some show about maturity because they thought putting on blinkers, throwing themselves headlong at studying and whatever they planned on doing and not taking the time to look out for themselves as human beings really classed as some form of growth. The only way he saw that ending for them was in rusting away if they couldn't even learn that much, where the ones who did got more room to flourish.
And then Morgan suddenly took things down a completely different path when he mentioned girls. "Well, uh..." His voice trailed off into silence while he mulled over the question to piece together the words he wanted to answer it with. And there he'd been thinking it was awkward when his parents tried to subtly question him about this sort of thing. That one just got blown straight out of the water.
"I wouldn't really know myself. It's never something I went for, however much I wanted it or not. Flew under the radar a lot. With this kind of thing," Julien paused to compose himself a little further, generalise it that much more and try not to run the risk of insulting somebody one of them was friends with, "people who stand out more and grab more attention from the start do better, and this place doesn't exactly have those in short supply, you know?"
He had no plans to be one of those people who put on some show about maturity because they thought putting on blinkers, throwing themselves headlong at studying and whatever they planned on doing and not taking the time to look out for themselves as human beings really classed as some form of growth. The only way he saw that ending for them was in rusting away if they couldn't even learn that much, where the ones who did got more room to flourish.
And then Morgan suddenly took things down a completely different path when he mentioned girls. "Well, uh..." His voice trailed off into silence while he mulled over the question to piece together the words he wanted to answer it with. And there he'd been thinking it was awkward when his parents tried to subtly question him about this sort of thing. That one just got blown straight out of the water.
"I wouldn't really know myself. It's never something I went for, however much I wanted it or not. Flew under the radar a lot. With this kind of thing," Julien paused to compose himself a little further, generalise it that much more and try not to run the risk of insulting somebody one of them was friends with, "people who stand out more and grab more attention from the start do better, and this place doesn't exactly have those in short supply, you know?"
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MurderWeasel
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Now here was a subject Alton had a thing or two to say about, even more so than most topics. Girls. Young women, if you wanted to sound more respectable, but respectable wasn't always the right hand to play in romance. All that stuff Alton had been talking about with wanting excitement and adventure and interesting things? That all went doubly when it came to finding a partner. There was nothing attractive about someone who did the same thing every time, who was predictable and safe and unimaginative. This was part of what had Alton jumping from one relationship to the next, part of what had given him the reputation he enjoyed among the young women of George Hunter, but he never implied he was anything other than what he was.
Morgan and Julien weren't going to be able to see this through the same lens. The very nature of the former's question and the latter's response told Alton that. A lot of the advice he might've offered in another situation would be inapplicable here. "Check out juniors and maybe sophomores near the end of the year; they're young enough that it's cool to be with a senior and old enough that you don't catch too much shit from their parents," wasn't what either of these guys needed to hear. They weren't the sort who'd get anything out of being told how to slide your hand up someone's thigh ever-so-slowly, just so such that you could make sure she was into it. They probably wouldn't get it if he tried to explain that "yes" could be a hot answer to a hotter question if you were smooth-tongued.
No, Alton figured this was the first day of summer camp. This was "Don't play in the poison Ivy, kids, and always wear a condom if you don't have a paper copy of the test results."
He closed his eyes for a second and then opened them, like a blink except a whole lot slower. His cheeks really were getting a bit sore now. He liked these guys. This was something he could maybe be useful on, and hadn't he just seen that there were unexpected depths to the pair? Alton nibbled the left side of his lip as he assessed. Morgan was tall, skinny, a good chin but a witch's nose, face soft and young. He needed a haircut. Tight pants was good, long-sleeves under a goofy tee was not. Julien on the other hand at least looked like he knew what exercise was. Blonde, ponytail beat a man-bun any day of the week but that was a low bar. A little tan, features thin and defined but maybe just a bit too much. Interesting scar. Boring fashion but boring beat bad. There was potential in both corners. Alton could imagine kissing either for a joke.
"College girls are alright," Alton said, finally breaking his silence. "Pretty fun. But there are good options right here too, especially with summer coming."
He brought his chin up, freeing his hands as he straightened out of his lean.
"And you're half-right, Julien," Alton continued. He raised his right hand and transitioned from snapping his fingers into pointing a finger gun and a wink in Julien's direction. "But it's not just standing out. It's confidence. Confidence is sexy. If you do want something, someone, a girl or a guy, you have to realize you won't get anywhere passively. You have to try."
Alton spoke calmly, clearly, put enough emphasis into his voice to say he meant what he said but not so much it'd come off like he was lambasting the guy.
"You could get a date, guaranteed. Both of you. Julien, you going to Prom?"
Morgan and Julien weren't going to be able to see this through the same lens. The very nature of the former's question and the latter's response told Alton that. A lot of the advice he might've offered in another situation would be inapplicable here. "Check out juniors and maybe sophomores near the end of the year; they're young enough that it's cool to be with a senior and old enough that you don't catch too much shit from their parents," wasn't what either of these guys needed to hear. They weren't the sort who'd get anything out of being told how to slide your hand up someone's thigh ever-so-slowly, just so such that you could make sure she was into it. They probably wouldn't get it if he tried to explain that "yes" could be a hot answer to a hotter question if you were smooth-tongued.
No, Alton figured this was the first day of summer camp. This was "Don't play in the poison Ivy, kids, and always wear a condom if you don't have a paper copy of the test results."
He closed his eyes for a second and then opened them, like a blink except a whole lot slower. His cheeks really were getting a bit sore now. He liked these guys. This was something he could maybe be useful on, and hadn't he just seen that there were unexpected depths to the pair? Alton nibbled the left side of his lip as he assessed. Morgan was tall, skinny, a good chin but a witch's nose, face soft and young. He needed a haircut. Tight pants was good, long-sleeves under a goofy tee was not. Julien on the other hand at least looked like he knew what exercise was. Blonde, ponytail beat a man-bun any day of the week but that was a low bar. A little tan, features thin and defined but maybe just a bit too much. Interesting scar. Boring fashion but boring beat bad. There was potential in both corners. Alton could imagine kissing either for a joke.
"College girls are alright," Alton said, finally breaking his silence. "Pretty fun. But there are good options right here too, especially with summer coming."
He brought his chin up, freeing his hands as he straightened out of his lean.
"And you're half-right, Julien," Alton continued. He raised his right hand and transitioned from snapping his fingers into pointing a finger gun and a wink in Julien's direction. "But it's not just standing out. It's confidence. Confidence is sexy. If you do want something, someone, a girl or a guy, you have to realize you won't get anywhere passively. You have to try."
Alton spoke calmly, clearly, put enough emphasis into his voice to say he meant what he said but not so much it'd come off like he was lambasting the guy.
"You could get a date, guaranteed. Both of you. Julien, you going to Prom?"
Avatar art by the lovely and inimitable Kotorikun
Morgan stifled a laugh as Alton's demeanour was noticeably affected by the switch in conversation topic. The easygoing senior suddenly seemed as though a switch had been flipped, his confidence and experience coming to the forefront to dictate the terms of the chat. It wasn't much of a shock, really. Alton Gerow had a particular reputation around school; he was wanted and desired by many throughout the student body, and more than a few people had described him as a bit of a player.
Julien, on the other hand, seemed very much out of his element when it came to talking about the opposite sex, as his body language had gone the total opposite way once Morgan had broached the subject. He had a point - women tended to be more interested in those who stood out, and Julien certainly wasn't that. But not everyone in school had to be an extroverted man-about-town. Alton was bang-on, it was confidence that maketh the man, rather than a bombastic personality.
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with our particular student body, don't get me wrong." Morgan held his hands up in mock protest. "Just might be nice to... expand the horizons, you know?"
The fact was, he was sort of looking forward to the opportunity to get to know some new people. George Hunter was a big school, but his shotgun-dating strategy had a crappy success rate, and he was being true to himself, he'd been in a bit of a dating rut for a few months, a lot of people not wanting to commit to anything before they all disappeared forever into the vortex of adulthood. It didn't really bug him all that much, rather it elicited a sense of impatience. As he listened to Alton advise Julien on the finer points of putting oneself out there, Morgan grinned and nodded in agreement.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Right?" He backed Alton's advice wholeheartedly. He was all about the attempt. "If you're interested in someone, it never hurts to try," he paused for effect, "the worst that can happen is they say no, and then... well, you just move on."
He paused, looking around the crowded book depository and extending his arms in a grandiose manner, his voice carrying a bit more than it should have.
"There are plenty of fish in the," he hesitated, but shrugged, "uh... in the library!"
Ignoring the inevitable glower of the library assistant from the desk, he laughed, and held his hands up, just rolling with the butchery of the cliché, giving his attention back to Alton. The question had been posed to Julien, but it invited an answer from Morgan as well.
"As far as prom goes, I'm definitely going. Whether or not I have a date for it?" He leaned back in his chair, his voice down to a more appropriate level. "I dunno. I'll figure that out later. There's still a ton of time to decide. There's nothing wrong with going solo, either. Either of you two have pre-arranged dates yet?"
As far as he knew, both guys were single, so this could be an interesting tidbit either way it went.
Julien, on the other hand, seemed very much out of his element when it came to talking about the opposite sex, as his body language had gone the total opposite way once Morgan had broached the subject. He had a point - women tended to be more interested in those who stood out, and Julien certainly wasn't that. But not everyone in school had to be an extroverted man-about-town. Alton was bang-on, it was confidence that maketh the man, rather than a bombastic personality.
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with our particular student body, don't get me wrong." Morgan held his hands up in mock protest. "Just might be nice to... expand the horizons, you know?"
The fact was, he was sort of looking forward to the opportunity to get to know some new people. George Hunter was a big school, but his shotgun-dating strategy had a crappy success rate, and he was being true to himself, he'd been in a bit of a dating rut for a few months, a lot of people not wanting to commit to anything before they all disappeared forever into the vortex of adulthood. It didn't really bug him all that much, rather it elicited a sense of impatience. As he listened to Alton advise Julien on the finer points of putting oneself out there, Morgan grinned and nodded in agreement.
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Right?" He backed Alton's advice wholeheartedly. He was all about the attempt. "If you're interested in someone, it never hurts to try," he paused for effect, "the worst that can happen is they say no, and then... well, you just move on."
He paused, looking around the crowded book depository and extending his arms in a grandiose manner, his voice carrying a bit more than it should have.
"There are plenty of fish in the," he hesitated, but shrugged, "uh... in the library!"
Ignoring the inevitable glower of the library assistant from the desk, he laughed, and held his hands up, just rolling with the butchery of the cliché, giving his attention back to Alton. The question had been posed to Julien, but it invited an answer from Morgan as well.
"As far as prom goes, I'm definitely going. Whether or not I have a date for it?" He leaned back in his chair, his voice down to a more appropriate level. "I dunno. I'll figure that out later. There's still a ton of time to decide. There's nothing wrong with going solo, either. Either of you two have pre-arranged dates yet?"
As far as he knew, both guys were single, so this could be an interesting tidbit either way it went.
Confidence, huh? Well, both of them evidently had a great deal of more of that than Julien did when it came to the fairer sex owing to how they acted, although it was still much better than it would have been a year ago since he was actually trying now. It didn't escape him that he actually had more of it at this point in time than he did when his face hadn't gotten a chunk gouged out of it, but he only allowed himself a little smile for a few moments as recognition.
It did help that Morgan had actually managed to make something new out of that tired old line too.
"Prom, huh? Yes, I do plan on going, even if it only ends up being to say that I did. Pre-arranged dates strike me as being for people who've already got attachments too, so no dice there for me. And I'll admit I don't see too much coming if I make an attempt to find one. What you said is true, Morgan, but I have gone out of my way to... hm." Julien cut himself off when something came to mind.
There was little appeal to be found in falling back on excuses and citing what he used to be like to escape from actually trying to face the matter. He knew that, yet it clearly hadn't stuck in his mind if he was still trying to do it. Was he really so afraid of being rejected, belittled for aspiring to find something, anything? Failure in this case was simply a lesson about himself to grow from, not something that would bring him pain.
"No, that doesn't really matter when I think about it. What I do now is more important, and I can't exactly show what I need to if I don't have any faith in myself." Julien said. He was disappointed that he had to make the conscious decision to say it, but moping about perceived inability to regain what was lost didn't serve anybody, least of all himself. "So yes, maybe I will show up with company. It all depends on how things pan out, of course, but I'm aware that chances are hardly going to gift-wrap themselves for me."
It did help that Morgan had actually managed to make something new out of that tired old line too.
"Prom, huh? Yes, I do plan on going, even if it only ends up being to say that I did. Pre-arranged dates strike me as being for people who've already got attachments too, so no dice there for me. And I'll admit I don't see too much coming if I make an attempt to find one. What you said is true, Morgan, but I have gone out of my way to... hm." Julien cut himself off when something came to mind.
There was little appeal to be found in falling back on excuses and citing what he used to be like to escape from actually trying to face the matter. He knew that, yet it clearly hadn't stuck in his mind if he was still trying to do it. Was he really so afraid of being rejected, belittled for aspiring to find something, anything? Failure in this case was simply a lesson about himself to grow from, not something that would bring him pain.
"No, that doesn't really matter when I think about it. What I do now is more important, and I can't exactly show what I need to if I don't have any faith in myself." Julien said. He was disappointed that he had to make the conscious decision to say it, but moping about perceived inability to regain what was lost didn't serve anybody, least of all himself. "So yes, maybe I will show up with company. It all depends on how things pan out, of course, but I'm aware that chances are hardly going to gift-wrap themselves for me."
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 2566
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
"Very good," Alton said, beaming at Julien. "That's what I like to hear."
He clapped his hands together, but where Morgan had seemingly once again forgotten their surroundings, Alton modified his gesture to avoid the loud noise it would typically entail, only bringing his fingers together with an audible but restrained click. The woman at the desk was still looking their way after the other boy's emphatic vocalizations, and she seemed just about ready to call out when Alton started his motion, but settled slowly back into her chair once he'd completed it; he gave her a wink she would almost certainly not see from as far away as she was, then returned his attention to his companions, and most specifically to the boy with the scarred face.
"You'll do great. And remember, it's just a school dance. You're not marrying her."
That was a big part of what tripped so many of Alton's classmates up. They made a huge deal of everything that happened now, because they lacked perspective. Of all the couples in their grade, two or three would be together in a decade, optimistically. For the rest, these high school romances would be fond or not-so-fond memories, formative perhaps, but ultimately outgrown. It wouldn't matter how good someone was at kissing, whose sister was on the cheer squad, whether someone was headed for an in-state school or not. As long as they were safe, avoided the obvious perils of pregnancy and disease and disowning by family, they'd move on to better things. It was the same reason getting involved at the end of the year was an opportunity rather than a hindrance: none of this really meant anything. Alton was upfront about this with the girls he went out with, even if some of them seemed to think he'd come around.
"If I can help either of you, just let me know. I know a lot of people."
He left that statement open-ended. Let Morgan and Julien decide how to take it; Alton could back it up. If either of them had an eye on someone specific, well, Alton probably knew them or knew someone else who did, and he could at least find out if they were spoken for or generally receptive to advances, and maybe a tip or two for how to approach them. And if the boys were less particular, Alton knew loads of people with sophomore sisters who would just love to get a senior to serve as their ticket into Prom. It'd be easy, and it shouldn't strain relationships with their siblings too much. It wasn't like there'd be any real expectations of the girls; they'd dance, maybe let their date get a little handsy, but with this sort of guy Alton thought sex would be more of a surprising twist than a foregone conclusion.
"And me? I'm going for sure. Still deciding who with."
He gave another wink, but this time for the benefit of his companions at the table.
He clapped his hands together, but where Morgan had seemingly once again forgotten their surroundings, Alton modified his gesture to avoid the loud noise it would typically entail, only bringing his fingers together with an audible but restrained click. The woman at the desk was still looking their way after the other boy's emphatic vocalizations, and she seemed just about ready to call out when Alton started his motion, but settled slowly back into her chair once he'd completed it; he gave her a wink she would almost certainly not see from as far away as she was, then returned his attention to his companions, and most specifically to the boy with the scarred face.
"You'll do great. And remember, it's just a school dance. You're not marrying her."
That was a big part of what tripped so many of Alton's classmates up. They made a huge deal of everything that happened now, because they lacked perspective. Of all the couples in their grade, two or three would be together in a decade, optimistically. For the rest, these high school romances would be fond or not-so-fond memories, formative perhaps, but ultimately outgrown. It wouldn't matter how good someone was at kissing, whose sister was on the cheer squad, whether someone was headed for an in-state school or not. As long as they were safe, avoided the obvious perils of pregnancy and disease and disowning by family, they'd move on to better things. It was the same reason getting involved at the end of the year was an opportunity rather than a hindrance: none of this really meant anything. Alton was upfront about this with the girls he went out with, even if some of them seemed to think he'd come around.
"If I can help either of you, just let me know. I know a lot of people."
He left that statement open-ended. Let Morgan and Julien decide how to take it; Alton could back it up. If either of them had an eye on someone specific, well, Alton probably knew them or knew someone else who did, and he could at least find out if they were spoken for or generally receptive to advances, and maybe a tip or two for how to approach them. And if the boys were less particular, Alton knew loads of people with sophomore sisters who would just love to get a senior to serve as their ticket into Prom. It'd be easy, and it shouldn't strain relationships with their siblings too much. It wasn't like there'd be any real expectations of the girls; they'd dance, maybe let their date get a little handsy, but with this sort of guy Alton thought sex would be more of a surprising twist than a foregone conclusion.
"And me? I'm going for sure. Still deciding who with."
He gave another wink, but this time for the benefit of his companions at the table.
Avatar art by the lovely and inimitable Kotorikun
Morgan sat uncharacteristically still as Julien had a moment of self-deliberation amid his peers. It was kind of sad to hear those words coming from someone - not sad in a disgraceful way, but legitimately pitiable. Morgan himself wasn't the king of confidence, not by any stretch, but he'd always had a pretty good sense of who he was within his own skin. Ups and downs tended to bounce off of him, and he was proud of his resilience; never too high, never too low. But poor Julien? It seemed like this guy had falling into the common hole of self-doubt that plagued teenagers everywhere.
At least he seemed to have grabbed hold of a rope and was starting to see that he might actually be able to pull himself up.
Morgan smiled, not a smirk as he usually wore, but a genuine smile for Julien's benefit. He seemed like a nice enough guy, and what with the scar on his face, he imagined that this kid had likely been through some things. He couldn't recall much about him other than what he'd learned right here, but... it was never too late.
"Oh man, you should definitely come to prom! Solo or not, there'll be a lot of people milling around, just trying to soak it all in." Alton made his point about the temporary nature of high school relationships, causing Morgan to cock, aim, and fire a finger-gun in his direction, all in one fluid motion.
"Exactly. Dances are fun, right? Most teenagers like at least a little bit of human contact, and there's nothing like watching other people do it to make you want to do it too." Morgan was perhaps a tad biased, he may not have had a whole lot of rhythm, but his energetic disposition fit in well in a room full of dancing people.
Alton's offer was primarily aimed at Julien, but it took Morgan off-guard, surprising him a little. It was a genuinely kind offer, and it reaffirmed what he'd already decided earlier: Alton Gerow would some day make a great leader of people. Be it in twenty years as the head of his local PTA, or sooner than that running a corporation, his demeanour spoke volumes about the kind of man he was destined to become. This was someone worth knowing, indeed.
A wise connection to make, especially this close to the end of the high school line.
"Hey - thanks," he grinned once more, nodding slowly, "I might just take you up on that sometime. We'll see how the prom hunt goes... whenever I get there." He looked down at his school bag. "Still a few things to do before we get there, anyway."
Glancing at the time on his cell phone, Morgan sighed. The period was winding down, and soon it would be time to head on to the next class. He supposed he'd gotten enough done in the library on his project, and his chats with Alton and Julien - and Yuki earlier on, had been fun. Aware of the fact that he didn't have the contact information for either boy in front of him, Morgan opened his Facebook app and did a quick search. Alton was easy to find, Julien less so, but he quickly sent friend requests to the both of them.
"Speaking of things to do..." He grimaced as he looked up from his phone. "I've gotta get going. English class is next for me, and I'd rather get there on time so that I can study Ms. Prescott from afar, rather than having her get all up in my shit." Morgan likely flicked his hands up in the air. "You know how it goes."
As he stood, he gave both guys another genuine smile, and held his phone up in front of him slightly.
"Oh, and I just pinged you guys with Facebook friend requests. Maybe we should do this again sometime. Julien - let me know if you do decide hitting up prom. I can't imagine my friends and I can fill a table, so we could always use a few more if you need. You too, Alton."
Morgan couldn't imagine that Alton would have any issue finding a place to sit at prom, but the offer was made all the same. As one last thing poked at his mind, he gestured at Alton once more. "I'll let you know when we end up going out to Winnepesaukah, if you still wanna tag along. Take it easy, guys!"
Grabbing his knapsack off the table, Morgan turned around and made his way out of the library. He increased speed as he walked by the library counter near the front, as the library attendant who had been eyeing him the entire time tried to chastise him for his noise level on the way out. He had zero time for that, so he just kept on moving.
Always moving; always in motion - classic Morgan.
((Morgan Dragosavich continued in Have You Lost Me?))
At least he seemed to have grabbed hold of a rope and was starting to see that he might actually be able to pull himself up.
Morgan smiled, not a smirk as he usually wore, but a genuine smile for Julien's benefit. He seemed like a nice enough guy, and what with the scar on his face, he imagined that this kid had likely been through some things. He couldn't recall much about him other than what he'd learned right here, but... it was never too late.
"Oh man, you should definitely come to prom! Solo or not, there'll be a lot of people milling around, just trying to soak it all in." Alton made his point about the temporary nature of high school relationships, causing Morgan to cock, aim, and fire a finger-gun in his direction, all in one fluid motion.
"Exactly. Dances are fun, right? Most teenagers like at least a little bit of human contact, and there's nothing like watching other people do it to make you want to do it too." Morgan was perhaps a tad biased, he may not have had a whole lot of rhythm, but his energetic disposition fit in well in a room full of dancing people.
Alton's offer was primarily aimed at Julien, but it took Morgan off-guard, surprising him a little. It was a genuinely kind offer, and it reaffirmed what he'd already decided earlier: Alton Gerow would some day make a great leader of people. Be it in twenty years as the head of his local PTA, or sooner than that running a corporation, his demeanour spoke volumes about the kind of man he was destined to become. This was someone worth knowing, indeed.
A wise connection to make, especially this close to the end of the high school line.
"Hey - thanks," he grinned once more, nodding slowly, "I might just take you up on that sometime. We'll see how the prom hunt goes... whenever I get there." He looked down at his school bag. "Still a few things to do before we get there, anyway."
Glancing at the time on his cell phone, Morgan sighed. The period was winding down, and soon it would be time to head on to the next class. He supposed he'd gotten enough done in the library on his project, and his chats with Alton and Julien - and Yuki earlier on, had been fun. Aware of the fact that he didn't have the contact information for either boy in front of him, Morgan opened his Facebook app and did a quick search. Alton was easy to find, Julien less so, but he quickly sent friend requests to the both of them.
"Speaking of things to do..." He grimaced as he looked up from his phone. "I've gotta get going. English class is next for me, and I'd rather get there on time so that I can study Ms. Prescott from afar, rather than having her get all up in my shit." Morgan likely flicked his hands up in the air. "You know how it goes."
As he stood, he gave both guys another genuine smile, and held his phone up in front of him slightly.
"Oh, and I just pinged you guys with Facebook friend requests. Maybe we should do this again sometime. Julien - let me know if you do decide hitting up prom. I can't imagine my friends and I can fill a table, so we could always use a few more if you need. You too, Alton."
Morgan couldn't imagine that Alton would have any issue finding a place to sit at prom, but the offer was made all the same. As one last thing poked at his mind, he gestured at Alton once more. "I'll let you know when we end up going out to Winnepesaukah, if you still wanna tag along. Take it easy, guys!"
Grabbing his knapsack off the table, Morgan turned around and made his way out of the library. He increased speed as he walked by the library counter near the front, as the library attendant who had been eyeing him the entire time tried to chastise him for his noise level on the way out. He had zero time for that, so he just kept on moving.
Always moving; always in motion - classic Morgan.
((Morgan Dragosavich continued in Have You Lost Me?))