Hallway Meetup

who: Isabelle and Thom
when: after first period
where: near Isabelle's locker

Annoyed didn't really cover how Isabelle felt about the whole "spend the end of the week at some stupid ghost course" thing that she'd gotten the note about in class. Plus it looked like she'd been stuck in group full of people that took work to deal with. People who didn't instinctively cater to her every whim. Plus Medea had gotten that package from who the hell knows with a new laptop in it. Isabelle had wondered if it had been from Porter, but Medea didn't know. Whoever it came from, Isabelle was a little annoyed it hadn't come to her too. Hopefully Medea would be willing to share.

Casually she scanned the hall around her locker, keeping an eye open for Thom, wondering if he'd live up to his promise and come find her at some point today. Sighing, she focused back on her locker and what books she'd need for the day, wondering if today would be another boring let down.

Thom was as good as his word. In fact, he'd been looking out for her since before school and, since he hadn't found her, he headed straight for her locker after first period, figuring he'd just keep doing that until he bumped into her. It was a plan - and one that, in the end, didn't need to be taken any further, as he saw the familiar figure standing there. "Hey - how's it going? I see we got put on the same list for this trip thing."

Isabelle looked up from her locked with just enough of a flushed face. "Hey you," she greeted him with a sweet smile. "I saw that as well. At least it's some perk of the whole thing, more time with you. If that's alright with you of course." Gently she leaned in a little, using the lack of space in the crowded hall, letting her arm bump into his.

Thom wondered if he should at this juncture sit her down and give her the 'let's just be friends' talk. After all, he had a reputation for not dating much for a reason, and between getting his heart seriously broken by Leija and then the episode of having to pretend to date Chrissy, it really hadn't encouraged him to change his rules any at all. It wasn't that he had anything against Isabelle, he just really needed to get to know someone, be cautious with them until he was sure what he wanted, and he didn't want to lead her on, or give her any false expectations in the meantime. He considered it, just for a moment, then dismissed it as unnecessary right now. She hardly knew him, after all. She was just a friendly type. He was probably just being overly-cautious and reading in. "Sure, course - I know quite a few of the people going, so it shouldn't be too much of a grind. I doubt there'll be much going on really anyhow. I mean, ghosts are ghosts, aren't they?"

"Yea it looks like my sister's going to be there as well, but her boyfriend should be too so I imagine she'll be spending most of her time with him. That's sort of it from my friends, but hopefully I can make some more friends so I don't have to third wheel it with the happy couple the entire time. I think they've moved into the 'officially really gross' stage. At least that's the impression I get from Medea." Or rather what Medea had told her as far as what she was doing with Porter. She gave Thom a smiling eye roll in regard to her sister's relationship, as if it was sweet and yet mildly annoying. "Any ideas why we suddenly have to care about ghosts and the like? I think it's just weird, you know?"

Thom raised an eyebrow. "Medea calls her relationship 'officially really gross'?" he asked her with a wry smile, figuring that that wasn't the case at all - something that was betrayed by the twinkle in his brown eyes. "And no, I haven't got a clue about the 'why' of it. I mean, they're around and everything, so knowing about them makes sense. But - I know that nobody knew this one was coming." Or, at least, his mom hadn't when he'd called her a few minutes ago. In fact, she'd not only not know about it, but she'd been spectacularly unimpressed about it as well. In fact, from what she was saying, she was going to be trying to get it stopped. It had been a short call.

Isabelle stuck her tongue out at Thom a little. "No she doesn't call it that, but she does acknowledge that they are in that cute stage. So maybe she's not completely lost," she explained with a light laugh. "As for the ghost thing, I know no one seemed to see it coming. People are having mixed reactions. I know I've heard a few people saying they were calling their parents or whatever to see if they can get out of it." Isabelle shrugged with a slight smile. "Granted I do think there were two guys in my first class who seemed really excited about it. But they like that sort of stuff."

"Well, if we have to go, I'll go, but I know my mom's not exactly impressed about it - them suddenly declaring we have to go away and everything. She's kinda on the warpath about things this morning," he said, not adding more judgment to it than that. Thom didn't play up who his mom was, ever. If you listened to the guy talk, if he mentioned her at all then you'd think that she was just another ordinary mom rather than a high powered person within the city.

"At least your mom would listen and care or whatever. My foster parents would probably just be like 'if it's require by school you're going,'" Isabelle told him in a fake voice for her parents. "They are good people but if Medea and I get kicked out of school...well it's not like they can afford private schools or have time to homeschool." She shrugged and grabbed the last book out of her locker she needed, closing the door afterward. "I guess we'll just have to make it fun right? It can't be that bad right? A chance to hang out with friends for three days? And at least it's coed."

"Oh, believe me - I would be in so much shit if I got kicked out of school," Thom said, rolling his eyes at that. "My mom's really hot of that kind of stuff." Though he did actually have enough credits already to graduate. For his family, it wasn't about reaching the bare minimum. "But, yeah, guess it could be fun - I read the grouping list, it could have been a lot worse." Like, for example, he could have ended up in a different group to Kaysen for starters.

Isabelle wasn't as enthusiastic about the list of people, but she smiled nonetheless. "Yea, we'll just have to convince people at the meet and greet thing later today that it's going to be fun at the very least." She let her arm fall against his again as she shift towards the flow of the hall again. "I'm headed this way," she explained as she pointed down the hall behind her. "Where are you headed?"

"I have math, so upstairs, but I could walk you part way?" he suggested, happy to take her as far as she was going. "And I'll see you third period as well, right? At this meet and greet whatever, right?" he reminded her, since they were in the same group and everything.

Her smile was softer and her eyes bright. "I'd like that," she told him leading the way into the flow of the hall. "I'll find you when we get to the meet and greet. If it really, really sucks, at least we'll be in it together."

"Sure - that'd work for me. And maybe you could introduce me to your sister and then you wouldn't feel quite so much like a third limb if she's with Porter," Thom suggested to her. He'd met Porter, after all, and he thought the guy was okay. Plus, he was friends with kaysen, which stepped the guy up in his book every time.

"Sounds like a plan. You'd like Medea. We're different, but she's really sweet." Isabelle leaned towards him a little, bumping her shoulder against his. "Any help not being the odd girl out would be awesome." She smiled up at him, the same sweet smile from when he offered to walk her to class.

"You know, I'd think that you'd handle it pretty well, even if I wasn't there - you must get lots of practice with getting along with people and fitting in," Thom observed, lightly, looking over at her. She was the popular crowd, after all. And whilst she'd always maintained that she was in that crowd because she genuinely liked everyone there, he knew that you also had to be socially skilled to survive the politics of the group as well. She had to have skills that she could turn around to her sister and the boyfriend.

"Well yea, I'd probably be fine. It's just...well you know I don't want to be in the way. I know they don't have a ton of time together, between school and Medea working part time and then drama club stuff. I don't want her to feel like she's got to ditch him to hang out with me. Or something." She smiled up at Thom, a genuine smile that said she was happy for her sister in some regard. "But it will be a good chance to get to know Porter. Especially now that I know you've given him your seal of approval."

"Like I said - he seemed like an alright guy to me," Thom agreed as they hit the stairs where he needed to go up. "I think you should give him a chance. But - I'll see you later, right?" he checked. He kept his promises - if he didn't, there was always a damn good reason for that. And that was usually bound up in what he was, rather than who he was or what he wanted.

Isabelle nodded, pausing at the bottom of the stairs and turning so she was facing Thom. "I'll be there. Now I have something to look forward to in this whole ordeal." Ducking her head a little again she looked up from behind a few strands of her hair. The look gave her an air of innocence. "I meant what I said the other day, about being glad you're staying."

Thom had been trying hard to get over that. Sure, it had only been a couple of days and it was still fresh, but he was trying hard. It wasn't entirely working, but he was better than he was the other day. He gave her the best smile he could possibly manage, but it fell a little short and there was sadness in his eyes. "Thanks - I'll see you later," he said, humping his bag a little more up onto his shoulder and people pushed past him on their way to class.

"Later it is," Isabelle told him, watching his eyes, taking in the sadness there. She could tell he'd been pushing past it, that hurt. Just like he'd pushed past the hurt with Chrissy, which had surprised her. She and Medea had talked about the situation, plus there were rumors that he seemed to get over it quickly. At first Isabelle had assumed that Thom had just internalized it, but after talking to him more Isabelle had started to wonder if perhaps he hadn't been hurt by it anymore than she had. "Bye Thom." Turning she headed farther down the hall, glancing once over her shoulder to smile at him and wave.