[Same day, same lunch period.] [Shortly after the food fight, we find Tiffany sitting on one of the stairs in the stairwell. It's not one of the main stairwells but one of the offshoots. Still, it's relatively close to her locker so it's not that difficult to find. During the time during the food fight, she seems to have taken out her sketchpad and is working on improving her earlier grim reaper work from a few lunches ago.] [Mini Start.] 06* Javy pokes his head into the stairwell, spots her, and then follows in, going up one step. "Hey, uh, hey, Tiffany." 06* Tiffany blinks as she notices someone saying her name and looks up from her drawing. She doesn't make a conscious effort to hide it at least. "Oh, um. Hey Javy." She sighs and looks down at her drawing. "Some day, huh?" 06* Javy nods, and takes another step up. "Yeah. Uh. Nate said you got out before it..." He laughs sharply, and closes it off abruptly. "It got bad." I figured. I was kind of hoping not to run into Nate but... 06* Tiffany frowns a little more as she looks at the drawing, sounding a bit defeated. "It's all my fault..." 06* Javy looks nonplussed. "What?" 06* Tiffany frowns even more. "All my fault. That first shot was meant for me..." 06* Javy sounds even more confused in response. "But you didn't. What did you do?" 06* Tiffany tugs at her long sleeves for a bit and tries to look small. "Nothing. That's the problem." 06* Javy leans on the wall a couple of steps down from her, opens his mouth, closes it, taps the wall, and then says, "But Tiffany, it's, you didn't. What could you have done? You're, it's, it's not you. It's Tyler, right?" 06* Tiffany rolls her eyes for a second and then looks up at Javy for a second, staring him down. "God, why does everyone think this is a Tyler thing? Tyler's a chump who does what he's told. He barely has the heart to try it when he's alone." She curls her knees up and wraps her arms around her legs. "I actually thought you got it for a second." 06* Javy colors, and says defensively, "But he threw it. Isn't that..." He trails off, and looks down at his step. "That's what we're talking about?" 06* Tiffany frowns at Javy's coloring and looks off to the side then down. "Um, yeah. You're right. Sorry." She shakes her head. "It's just...it's a tough topic, alright?" 06* Javy nods. "Yeah. It's... I. It's fine. Uh, but... you don't have to. Uh, never mind. Right. Just. If you want to talk. I..." He opens his mouth, but he can't really force out any more for that. 06* Tiffany looks up a bit curiously at Javy and then lets out a small chuckle. 06* Javy takes his turn to look off up the steps, past Tiffany, blushing out to his ears. "Anyway. Uh." He searches for his topic. 06* Tiffany puts her hand up to her face for a moment and tries to stop herself. "Sorry. Um." She gives him a half smile again and brushes her hair aside. "Thanks..." Sure. 06* Javy finds his footing again. "So, those books. Did you look at yours?" 06* Tiffany nods slightly. "Yeah. I did. I'm guessing you did too?" 06* Javy nods back, and looks disappointed, still blushing. "But all I found was a picture. Just, well... a little one. And it was in there." What was? The Fringe? 06* Javy nods. "At least, I thought. It looked like it. The same place in the square. I'm pretty sure." 03* Ardweden is now known as SleepinArd 06* Tiffany thinks about that. "Probably." She frowns a bit. "It seems to have been around a long time..." You found it, too? There's some urban legends about it. Apparently people've seen action there late at night. Lights, shadows moving inside, etc., but no one saw anything actually in the shop, even if they broke in. 06* Javy looks at her again now, interested and getting less red. "So, uh, why did they break in? Were these, like, scary lights?" 06* Tiffany shrugs. "Didn't really say. You know people chasing urban legends. They don't really think of reason behind it." Right. Uh... so those legends are... they're older, too? It's been around quite a while, yeah... 06* Javy looks thoughtful. "That woman, the... the shop woman, she did look old, but..." He stops, and tries, "She couldn't really be... right?" 06* Tiffany frowns again, tapping her pencil and looking thoughtful herself. "I have no idea...I mean, we've already seen weirder stuff so far..." But not for real. Uh, right? Just in... 06* Javy lowers his voice. "Just in dreams." 06* Tiffany glances at Javy for a moment. "Yeah. Which the old lady knows about for some reason..." She frowns a little. 06* Javy nods. "We could. Next time. We could ask her." 06* Tiffany looks down at her pad for a second and goes back to adding to the sketch, quiet for a few beats. Then she speaks up. "I wonder. The ones who broke in before. Do you think they were walkers too?" 06* Javy looks thoughtfully down at her. "Maybe. Probably. Uh." He rests on the bannister. "It could be. Some of us might have. Or still might. You know?" Could have what? 06* Tiffany looks up at him. Tried that. Broken in. I... not yet. I wouldn't. But you can see it. Right? 06* Tiffany leans her cheek on her fist and looks at Javy evenly. "I thought you balked at the idea of breaking in earlier..." 06* Javy nods fervently, and then looks awkwardly down the stairs. "But it's not... it's not. It's not just me." He grinds down his words, trying to find the right way to say it. "Someone else could. Even without me. Or us." 06* Tiffany nods slightly, then sighs. "I know." She looks at her drawing but doesn't touch it up any more. "I'd still do it, you know." And I... 06* Javy laughs again. "I don't think you should. But it doesn't have to stop you. Or anyone." 06* Tiffany fiddles with her lip ring a bit, looking off to the side and speaking evenly. "It's okay, Javy. I know you're not that kind of person..." 06* Javy nods a couple of times, and stays quiet. I... 06* Javy glances back at her, questioningly. 06* Tiffany rubs her shoulder absently. "Were you looking for me just to talk about the Fringe stuff?" 06* Javy shakes his head, quiet. And then, softly. "There was that. I did, I was going to talk about that with you. Back at lunch. After the team. But then you were gone and it was, well, and Nate said you had, and I just... I. But there was the Fringe stuff. That too." What, uh, happened after I left? To, uh, Hank I mean. He, Tyler tried to pretend, you know. Like it wasn't him. And, uh, Hank kinda... pushed his head down. Like. In the potatoes. 06* Tiffany slaps her forehead and then looks downcast. "Oh god. That's it then. It's over...." Well. After that, it... kinda spread. Like. One of Tyler's friends, he threw something at Hank. And it got on some girls. And then it was everywhere. So, uh. 06* Javy rubs his forehead. "That's when. Well. I left then." 06* Tiffany holds her head and shakes it. "No no, this can't be happening. Ugh..." 06* Javy nods, and tries to find the right words to say, and doesn't really succeed. So he just stands there, watching her and hesitating for a few beats. 06* Tiffany seems to be rambling half to herself. "No, uh, it's okay. It ended up being Hank. He's fine to get him back." She rubs her temples and winces slightly. "Why me...?" 06* Javy looks at her, trying to work out the pronouns. "Who's getting who back?" 06* Tiffany sighs and shakes her head, fingering her sketchpad awkwardly. "If word gets around that Hank's trying to protect me, then they're going to think I don't know how to take care of myself and that he just jumps in to solve other people's fights for them..." I don't even *know* if that's what he's trying to do or not. 06* Tiffany sighs and runs her fingers through her front bangs. 06* Javy says slowly, "I don't know. I can't... I don't know him, either. Really. I met him when you did. But..." he sighs. "I think he's just like that." 06* Tiffany frowns and fiddles with the sketchpad more. "I think he is too. That's part of the problem." 06* Javy nods back, and looks at her curiously. "He won't stop. It's... he won't." 06* Tiffany leans her elbows on her knees and cradles her face in her hands. "It's not fair. He doesn't really get it, but I can't even be really *mad* at him. It's like kicking a puppy." You could explain. Maybe. 06* Tiffany frowns and looks at him. "What do you mean?" Just talk with Hank. Um. 06* Javy can't help but look a little amused. "Not today, though." 06* Tiffany sighs and brushes her hair aside. "Yeah. Probably not...last time I tried though, he didn't get it either..." [All of the sudden, the five minute bell rings! Almost time to get to class!] 06* Javy nods, and pushes off the wall, looking down at her. "Well, uh. I need to get." He waves back down towards the lockers. 06* Tiffany winces a bit at the sound of the bell and clutches her pad as she stands. "Uh, listen. I'll catch you later, alright?" [And they both head off to class! Mini end!]