01<@Ardweden> [Tyler STORMS IN through the side entrance, Heather not far 
behind. Tiffany is there, too, but nobody notices her. The hall is lined 
with lockers and a glass display case for gymnastics trophies. It's 
relatively narrow and nigh deserted, as there are few students inside to 
begin with and almost nobody uses this entrance.]
 06* Tyler storms forward glowering at every one, Heather doesn't get 
special notice. Not yet anyway. He's not in the mood to deal with anyone 
and it shows.
 06* Tiffany stalks away, as a shadow, following behind Tyler. She raises 
an eyebrow. Hadn't meant to follow him but as long as she's here, 
"Tyler..."
 06* Heather is quite happy about that, and avoids Tyler altogether!
 06* Tyler turns glaring down Tiffany. "What? Huh? Going to tell me you 
got me a date for the prom? Rented a hippo in a tutu or something? 
Convinced Steve to put on a dress for a burrito? Fuck he'd do it for half 
a burrito because it's me. I don't need your shit Tiffany. I don't need 
you trying to manipulate me. What the fuck do you want? Buy you a car? 
Jewelry? A pretty fuck boy? Go stuff yourself in a locker before someone 
else does it. I'm not your play toy."
 06* Tiffany looks at Tyler, holding onto her pack. She *looked* 
concerned. At least at first. That slowly falters away as an expression 
of rage filters onto her face. She doesn't look like she's listening one 
bit. Just reaching up to slap him.
 01<@Ardweden> [Tiffany tries to slap Tyler, but he was *ready* for that 
move - it's exactly the sort of thing that bitch would do - and he steps 
aside at the last minute. Tiffany loses her balance and stumbles, jamming 
her hand against a locker while she catches herself with it. Her right 
index and middle fingers HURT.]
 06* Heather reacts by not reacting! She heads towards her homeroom, 
leaving Tyler far behind.
 06* Tyler laughs cruelly. "Nice try. I was ready for that. The move 
where you left your little dream catcher to shove your spy Heather at me? 
That almost worked. Almost. But I figured it out. Try harder."
 01<@Ardweden> [Heather books it! While she's walking, she nearly runs 
into Tony, who also has his backpack and jacket on. He was going the 
opposite direction. "Hey," he says, sidestepping her to avoid 
awkwardness. And collisions.]
 06* Heather nearly runs into Tony! "Oh, hi Tony."
 06* Tiffany pulls back and yanks her hand out. Hard. *Ow*. That just 
makes it worse. She tries to move her fingers and then whips around, 
glaring at Tyler. "What the fuck? *Heather*? What's *she* got to do with 
*any* of your shit, Tyler?"
 01<@Ardweden> [Tiffany's fingers aren't moving quite right. She gets the 
feeling she might need to see the nurse.]
<Tyler> You should know, she's your little spy after all. Don't know how 
you did it, but I got out of that little trap.
 01<@Ardweden> [Tony nods to Heather and smiles a tiny, lopsided smile, 
before he continues on his way - towards the hall Tyler and Tiffany are 
in.]
 06* Tiffany goes to lash out at Tyler again, fist bunched up in rage, 
then flicks it. *Ow*. Ow. Dammit. She can't even slug him properly. 
"*Whose* spy? I barely even *know* Heather. And even if I did, I'd have 
much better shit than to throw her at *you*. The world doesn't evolve 
around *you*, Tyler. Much as you'd like to think it does..."
 06* Tyler scoffs. "Maybe not, but you're out to get me kicked out of the 
group. Just like the rest. Looking for a reason. I'm onto you. All of 
you."
 06* Heather steps after Tony. "Tony, wait! Are you sure you want to go 
that way? Tyler's on a rampage."
 01<@Ardweden> ["Onto who?" Tyler and Tiffany hear from the side 
entrance. There is Josh, his arms folded and his eyes glittering and 
hard, and Matt, who looks like this is just another day at school, and 
Steve - who is trailing behind the other two and whose mouth is still 
partially open.]
 01<@Ardweden> [Tony looks back at Heather. "A rampage? Why?"]
 06* Tiffany starts to respond to Tyler. "I..." Then she notices the 
voice and shrinks back down, head tipping. She takes a small step back.
 06* Tyler focuses his eyes on those three, frowning. "Oh Fuck now you're 
here aren't you Josh. Here to help me while making it all worse. To fuck 
it all up for us. Like you always do, force us to do the hard work, then 
you fucking swoop in to take the credit but you can't just leave well 
enough alone, you gotta add something to it. Remember that fucking 
science project Matt and I did and you stole from us? Yeah, the one you 
got an F on because you set it up wrong as you insisted it looked gay how 
we had it. Fuck that. I don't need your taking credit right now, I bet 
Matt has spilled everything already? Oh he's figured it out. Ask him. I'm 
not telling you shit that he hasn't already put together. Then you're 
little fucking puppy Steve can run off and roll over. I'm not giving you 
guys a chance to fuck this day more."
 06* Heather frowns. "I don't know. I mean, he came to the library with 
Tiffany and we had a fight after she left, but.... I don't know why that 
would throw him into a fit. I barely know him."
 01<@Ardweden> ["Why were-" And Tony's whole posture goes rigid. "Oh." He 
takes a few steps away from where he was going and towards Heather, 
focusing completely on her. "What did *you* have to do with it?"]
<Heather> I work there.
 01<@Ardweden> ["But why were you fighting with *Tyler*?"]
<Heather> I think we fell asleep. And when we woke up he stormed out of 
there.
 06* Tiffany's eyes go WIDE as Tyler does that and she glances at...no, 
she doesn't glance at Josh. She glances at the ground. What the hell 
indeed, Tyler.
 01<@Ardweden> [Josh's jaw goes completely set, and he advances on Tyler. 
"You think so?" he asks, his voice low and menacing. "You think you're 
too good for us anymore? Got some new friends..." His hand comes out, 
fast, and he grabs Tyler by the coat and SLAMS him into a locker, shoving 
an elbow in the smaller boy's back. "Think *Tiffany's* going to fucking 
save you?!" Josh asks, his voice rising. In the background, Steve's 
backing up, nearly hitting the windows. He looks like he's SERIOUSLY 
thinking of running for it. Matt, meanwhile, is watching with barely 
disguised worry - but he's not lifting a finger to help.]
 06* Tiffany winces at that, but her posture is small and she backs up 
again. No, clearly Tiffany's not going to save him. Especially not with a 
mangled hand.
 01<@Ardweden> ["Asleep...?" Tony asks, when he hears a body into locker 
slam from down the hall. "Fuck," he says, looking that way, then to 
Heather: "Wanna ditch?"]
 06* Heather nods once, swiftly.
 01<@Ardweden> [Tony roughly grabs Heather by the arm and pulls him after 
her as he walks-borders-on-runs back the direction he came.]
 06* Heather follows! Or is pulled! Or something.
 06* Tyler snarls and tries to punch Josh back, he's pissed and just 
wants to fight.
 01<@Ardweden> [Tyler tries to squirm out of Josh's grip, and he just 
gets slammed into the locker AGAIN. He tastes blood. He hits the locker 
another time. Even in his rage, his face feels like it's being 
rearranged. Probably because it is.]
 06* Tiffany hisses under her breath, turning her head aside, then calls 
out. "WAIT, Josh! Leave him alone!"
 01<@Ardweden> [Josh pulls Tyler back - who's losing all sense of 
balance, vision blurry, head ringing - and glances at back without losing 
his grip on the other boy. "And I should listen to you *why*, Tiff Tiff?" 
he asks, his voice slightly mocking.]
 06* Tiffany gives him a cool look, fingers gripping on her straps. 
"Cause you get blood on the lockers, it's probably gonna be a *helluva* 
lot more trouble than you usually get in. And *I* sure as hell ain't 
cleaning it up..." Oh god, what is she doing?
 01<@Ardweden> [Josh sneers at Tiffany. "Sticking up for your boyfriend 
now? Sounds like you're competing with Heather for Slut of the Year."]
 06* Tiffany sneers back at Josh and looks up at him, trying to *show* 
she's not afraid. "Oh yeah? You're just jealous that I won't sleep with 
*you*."
 06* Tyler just leans against whatever is convenient and bleeds right 
now, the fight draining from him.
 01<@Ardweden> [Josh jerks Tyler back, preventing him from resting. 
Whatever people may say about him, he's surprisingly strong. "Not 
likely," he says to Tiffany. "But if you wanna be with him so bad, we can 
do something about that."]
 06* Tiffany takes a step back and then looks at Tyler, snorting. "*That* 
shitface? Hell no. I just don't wanna hafta be caught once the principal 
starts asking questions..." She's not saying she would *tattle*. But the 
principal *is* likely to ask who was in the hallway.
 01<@Ardweden> [Josh glares at Tiffany, and he looks like he's going to 
beat the shit out of her, when another voice pipes up: "But the principal 
won't, will he?" It's Matt, arms folded and voice steady but worry in his 
eyes.]
 06* Tiffany nods to Matt, easy to jump in at this point. Thanks Matt. 
"Exactly. Doesn't have to *know* about this little lover's spat..." She 
smiles a bit at Josh, though clearly she's playing it by ear at this 
point.
 01<@Ardweden> [Josh glares daggers, his free hand clenching into a fist, 
and Matt just gives Tiffany a brief 'are you fucking insane' look.]
 01<@Ardweden> [In the background, Steve is sitting in between doorways 
and maybe possibly hyperventilating.]
 06* Tyler is just bleeding all that energy and spite gone now.
 06* Tiffany freezes now after backing up a step against the lockers. The 
smile disappears. She's plenty used to being kicked around. She's just 
waiting for the hammer to fall or die down.
 01<@Ardweden> ["So what're you offering?" Matt asks, still not making a 
move to help Tyler out.]
 06* Tiffany looks at Matt, then glances at Tyler. "Didn't see anything 
go down here. Kid tripped to the locker. Tyler's out sick today. *Fuck*, 
I don't know."
 01<@Ardweden> [Matt check his watch before turning to Josh. "Bell's 
gonna ring in fifteen." Josh looks at Tiffany, then at Tyler. "Your lucky 
day, faggot," he tells him, then practically throws Tyler into Tiffany. 
"Come up with something good," he advises. "*Really* fucking good." And 
he stalks down the hallway, clearly in a foul mood. Matt gives Tiffany a 
long look before following, quickly.]
 01<@Ardweden> [Steve stays seated in the entryway, possibly 
hyperventilating.]
 06* Tiffany catches Tyler and tries like *hell* not to get a bloody mess 
on her as she does so. She hisses a bit before leading Tyler out. "Come 
on. Can't go to the nurse. What the fuck *is* wrong with you, Tyler?"
 01<@Ardweden> [Catching Tyler only hurts Tiffany's hand OW WHY.]
 06* Tiffany winces. She might as well get that hand checked out anyway. 
Back out the side entrance she goes. Tyler doesn't look strong enough to 
protest really.
 06* Tyler winces. "I'm sorry." It sounds like he means it.
 06* Tiffany breathes at the apology then tries not to injure her hand 
more. "Yeah, well...you should be..." But it doesn't sound like it has 
too much heart to it. She takes him out.
 01<@Ardweden> [Tiffany gets to the side entrance door and starts trying 
to get it open, which is pretty hard when both of your hands are taken up 
by drag-carrying a guy who's bigger than her and only one of those hands 
is working properly. She's about ready to drop him when the door opens. 
On the other side is Steve, eyes wide and looking white as a ghost.]
 06* Tiffany pauses and looks up at Steve, watching his movements for a 
little while. "...what?"
 06* Tyler looks vaguely up at Steve. "I'm..I'm not sorry Steve. Don't.. 
don't get hurt."
 01<@Ardweden> ["I... dude. You okay? Tyler?" And then Steve realizes 
he's in Tiffany and Tyler's way, and he moves, holding the door open.]
 06* Tyler winces more. "No. I.. I'm better now. That..that was building 
for a long time. I..." He winces half sentence. "I hurt everyone."
 01<@Ardweden> ["Josh beat the shit out of you," Steve says, apparently 
not really comprehending what Tyler said. "I didn't know he'd... I'm 
sorry. Dude. I uh." He moves to get the next door for Tiffany. "Are you 
going to the hospital?"]
<Tyler> I'm going where ever I'm dragged...
 06* Tiffany knocks Tyler on the head, then winces. God, that hand. Then 
looks at Steve, back at Tyler. "Don't know...we take him to the nurse, 
there'll be a lot of questions..."
<Tiffany> Don't think "He just tripped and fell into the locker" will cut 
it with this. Was thinking of just saying he got jumped on the way to 
school and I found him like this.
 01<@Ardweden> [Steve looks at Tiffany and then Tyler, and he says, 
without thinking, "Tony'd know what to do."]
 06* Tyler winces. "No. Tony hates me."
 06* Tiffany turns and stares at Tyler. "What? Tony doesn't hate you."
 01<@Ardweden> [Steve just looks confused.]
<Tyler> Tony hates me. He hates me since I told him.
 06* Tiffany looks oddly at Tyler. "Told him what?"
 06* Tyler shrinks even more. "You know what."
 06* Tiffany 's expression makes it very *clear* that she doesn't.
 01<@Ardweden> ["... Are you gay?"]
 06* Tiffany 's expression flits to Steve, and then flits back to Tyler 
incredulously. Okay, yes that *is* an expression of someone who didn't 
know. "....What?" she squeaks.
 06* Tyler groans heavily. "We went into Tony's dreams and saved him from 
eternal darkness. No, I'm not gay, Steve."
 01<@Ardweden> ["Oh. Because I figured. Telling him something..." Steve 
trails off. Awkward.]
 06* Tyler blinks looking at Steve. "I..Steve, are you? Can we talk about 
this as we get to the hospital? Please? I can't even make up good lies 
right now."
 01<@Ardweden> [Steve's jaw looks set. "Someone's gotta cover for you, 
and she doesn't look too good." So saying, he points out Tiffany.]
 06* Tiffany breathes a bit and then loops Tyler's arm around his 
shoulder. "I don't think he stopped talking to you because of that. He 
*started* talking to me because..." She frowns and looks at Tyler, then 
Steve, then decides moving is key. She keeps moving, out the door, past 
Captain Awkward.
 06* Tiffany does pause long enough to say. "Thanks Steve." Yeah, her 
hand *does* look like it hurt.
 06* Tyler groans. "I didn't mean it Steve. Don't..don't kill yourself."
 01<@Ardweden> [Steve closes the door after you leave. Captain Awkward is 
totally on the job!]
 01<@Ardweden> [End.]