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Wednesday school is closed, and the official word is that it will be closed Thursday as well. 

Tuesday night Elrod had dinner with Sammy and her family.  He fielded a few phone calls from his folks and sister to reassure them he was well, but otherwise spent the time with Sammy.  He didn't say anything about the incident at school, but spent a lot of time sitting as close to her as he could manage, and looking at her.  Mom and Dad tried hard not to ask about what happened.  Dad blew it once at dinner with the usual, "So how was school today?"  he didn't catch himself in time, but moved on with, "Never mind, pretend I don't speak English."

Chris and Colin's mother spent the night at the hospital.  John came by to visit, and they gave him Laney's coat to take back to her.  He left it with Jean.

Donnie's mom tried very hard not to come unglued.  She sat in his room for a while as he got cleaned up, and she offered to drive him anywhere he needed to go.

Mitzi and Carolyn tried to make sure Sylvia was alright without smothering her.  Mitzi was held in check by Carolyn, but they both asked if she needed anything about a thousand times.

Rhys' dad is a little concerned, but it amounts to, "You know you can talk to me if you need to."  and they try to continue being who they are.

Alicia's mother tries not to crowd Alicia and Rhys when they are there, but she moves around the house like she's expecting to hear bad news.

OOC: Treat this like the Lunch room thread for Wednesday and Thursday.  Anything that needs a thread we can do.

Wednesday:

When she accepted Laney’s coat from John during her shift at the hospital, Jean professed gratitude.  Privately, however, between the blood and the scorch marks, Jean pronounced the coat ruined.  Laney’s new coat was also of black wool, but hooded.   Her new phone was neon green – the better to find it, her aunt noted.   

There was some debate, but in the end it was determined Laney could continue to attend Oak Park – at least to finish this school year.  Laney had no reaction to the decision.

Wednesday, rather than rest in the empty house, Laney walks to school.  Investigators, clean-up crew, construction workers… A turn of a head, a distracting breeze, a sound…It’s all about timing, and Laney’s is extraordinary.   None seem to notice her when she slips inside the damaged building.   As she traverses the surreal landscape of taped plastic sheets, tortured metal protrusions, and blackened walls, her light footsteps disturb the layer of ash which billows up like a mist around her.  It felt familiar, like home.  She feels she owns it, now, this ruin.   This was her doing.   And like a spider in her own weave, Laney nimbly passes over, under, and through debris, until she finds a crevice to wedge herself into, dark and safe.

Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I chose the wrong path.  I was supposed to isolate myself.  I just didn’t want to be alone.  So selfish.  So stupid.  I failed.  Now, what?  I’m not strong enough to do what I should.  To stop.  There must be a third option.



It’s not until late Wednesday night that Laney considers contacting Adrien.  The thought causes a rush of fear which leaves her gasping on her bedroom floor, stunned by its intensity after feeling almost nothing for this long.   No, she decides as she waits for the artificial lethargy to subdue her, I’m not ready for that.   Maybe a third option will present itself at school.  Maybe.

Donnie hugs his mother a long, long time.

"I wasn't even near the room. We had figured out that Mr. Hamilton had used some sort of mutigenic formula to give the ceerleaders powers. Experimenting on them without their knowledge. I was downdstairs in the library, emailing the formula that, uh, I snagged off of his laptop to the police. Somehow he found out that someone had found out, and I guess went off his rocker and committed suicide. Well, I'd say suicide bomber."

He changes his shirt, peeling it back from his shoulder where the blood had sealed it to his wounds. It looked nothing more that as if he had gotten peppered with shrapnel. Nothing major, and they didn't even bleed when he washed the blood off in the bathroom, keeping up a constant chatter to distract his mom.

"I need to call Sylvia and see if she wants to go to the hospital to visit Colin. He seems to be unconscious or something, and I want to make sure nothing unseen had happened to him. Plus, Syl is probably blaming herself for all of this. She always does when something bad goes down. She expects herself to be able to read people's futures or something. Can you give me a ride down there?"

Without waiting for an answer, he flips open his cell and calls Sylvia.

"I'll talk about it," Sammy says.  "If you want to.  I know you're worried.  It'll probably help me get my head around it too."  She looks over at her sister, figures Screw it, she probably already knows, and if she doesn't, she ought to.  She scoots closer to Elrod and wraps his arm around her waist because honestly, they both need it.  Then she says, "The short version is that a science teacher at school, Mr. Hamilton, blew himself up in his lab because he had been id'ed as the person who had slipped chemicals to the cheerleading squad and gave them superpowers.  There's a long version, if you want to know more.  Ask me what you want to know."

Dad and mom share a look and a nod.  They look at Sammy's sister.  "honey, there's something you need to know.  But you can't repeat it to anyone."  Mom begins, and the conversation goes from there.

***


Donnie has his back to the mirror, looking at his shoulder and listening to his phone ring Sylvia's number.  He realizes too late his mom has moved to the doorway and can see the injury reflected in the mirror.  She walks forward slowly, running her fingers lightly across the marks, then takes the tweezers and carefully removes the tiny bits of material that are lodged under Donnie;s skin, gently cleaning and then bandaging the injury.  She doesn't say anything as she works, but a slow steady stream of tears run from her eyes as she works.  When she's finished she says softly, "I'll be downstairs when you're ready to go."  and then she leaves his room.

***

John sits in his room, staring at the wall.  His mother brings him lunch, then hours later takes the untouched food away.  She knows this mood, she's seen it before.  She has to let if fade, and so she leaves him to it.

***

Dave, Rob, and Greg sit on the old car seat in the woods behind their neighborhoods.  The central meeting grounds for them since they first met.

DAVE: "Top of the list of fucked up things so far."

GREG: "Certainly my number one pick for shitty things for them to have to have dealt with."

ROB: nods and takes another sip of his soda.

DAVE: "Rob, look into the future and tell me they're gonna be okay."

ROB: Looks at his friend and nods.  "I don't have to look into the future to know that man."

DAVE: "Yeah.  Me either I guess."  And he too takes a sip of soda.

GREG:  "I've been thinking about maybe not going to film school."

DAVE: "Over this?"

GREG: Shakes his head, "No.  I was thinking maybe broadcast journalism.  TV news maybe.  Instead of telling made up stories, or depicting something that has happened, bringing people what is happening.  Raise awareness, make a difference.  Like you two."

DAVE: "Do we?"

ROB: "Dude, you've transformed since you started helping them.  I used to want to be like you because you were cool and lazy.  Now I want to be like you because you're cool and helping super heroes."

DAVE: Swallows and blinks away the possibility of tears.  "They stepped up.  They give me hope for the human race."  He chuckles, "fucking Freshmen."

All three boys laugh.

***

[I'm going to start a separate thread for this, if no one minds.]

At some point Sammy goes into the bathroom -- alone!  ;D  She pulls out her phone and returns Nick's text.

Cdnt ansr u til now.  I'm ok.  I'm glad U R ok 2.

I understand.  I had asked the guys, they said you weren't hurt.  Didn't want to make Elrod uncomfortable.  Or me.  Especially me :P  Stay safe.

If no better offers come along on Thursday, Sammy will take herself on a long (distance and time) flight.

On Thursday, Alicia will send a text to Dave:

hey dave. busy? ned to ask u somthing

Asking if I'm busy via text message to ask me a question is a stereotypical girl thing.  Break the stereotype.  What did you need?

After she's done chuckling, Alicia pecks back:

well duh. need 2 tak f2f. were do u wan 2 meet?

@ VanGo, back parking lot.

OOC: VanGo is the affectionate term applied to his minivan.

Will this need a thread?

OOC: I remember the VanGo. "Back parking lot," I'm not too sure about. Would Alicia recognize that reference? I'm assuming he means the school, but I could be wrong.

As to it needing its own thread, I thought talking to Jack would and that ended up wrapping up quick, so I'm not sure if my judgment in that regard is that reliable. Let's say yes and err on the side of caution.