Kyuusho Commons

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"I guess he's new then, right?" River said. "Or maybe he sleeps somewhere else."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"That's very possible," Bolt said. "I know he came after I did, at least. And it's very possible he's just somewhere else. Doesn't really matter to me."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

River nodded. "Well, maybe when you do meet him, you will turn out to be friends."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"I hope so," Bolt said sticking his hands in his pockets. "I don't seem to have many of those here."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

River looked at him sympathetically. "Neither do I, really. You all left then Macie's family moved to Toronto. And Beck switched schools because Riverdale Middle School was closer to his house.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Oh man," Bolt said. "All your friends left at the same time? That sucks." He and his twin had only really had each other and two other boys back home who were their friends, but then they left and weren't even with each other anymore. Since he wasn't used to trying to make friends, and really wasn't even up for the challenge, he'd just stayed by himself.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

River nodded. "Everyone did. Mom says it's life. Not everyone stays."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Yeah, that's true," Bolt said. "And there will always be more people, new friends, you know?"

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

River shrugged. "At least I get letters. But do you think I'll still get them if we do move?" She asked, slightly worried.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Um, maybe. I'm sure it can be arranged somehow," Bolt said. He wasn't sure, because he never got letters, but there was probably some way letters could get where they were.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"Oh, I hope so. It's the only way I can talk to either of them," River said. "Do you have anything to drink? I might have to go back home..." she said. There was a faint burn in the pit of her stomach. She hadn't drank much of what her mom had given her at lunch.

Killian always found it strange that River felt thirst in her stomach and not in her throat.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Oh yeah, do you need a blood bag? Because we have a whole fridge of them," Bolt said, going towards the fridge in the corner. Since there were a good couple of vampires all living in this house, they all found it convenient to have a stock so close.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

She nodded. "Do you have any A-? The rest makes my stomach hurt when its from a bag."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Umm....." He started digging through the bags for the one she wanted. Man, they should really organize these... he thought as he finally pulled one out. "Aha! I found one!"

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

She put her hands up to catch it, comfortable in the big couch. "Toss it!" She said, grateful she wouldn't have to leave him just yet.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

He tossed it to her underhand so that she would have more time to catch and he wouldn't get in trouble if it fell and popped somehow. Messing with the caretaker was not something a person wanted to do. Blindly, he grabbed a bag from the fridge for himself and then went to sit by her.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

She caught it gently and twisted off the cap. "Ripping the bag is so messy," she said simply. As much as she drank blood, she couldn't stand the mess. Dirt and grass stains for days- but no blood stains.
"What are classes like here?"

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"I'll tell you when I experience one," he said. "We haven't started classes because some crazy stuff's been going on. I've stayed out of it for the most part. School is bound to start soon though, because things have been fairly calm for a while."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"And you take every class right, just for which grade you're in," She said. "I think that's how Leah explained it."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

He nodded. "Yeah, that sounds about right," he said.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"I really wish I could start with you guys. Maybe, if we stay, I can be involved Somehow." She really drug out the word.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

He laughed a bit. "I'm sure there's some way you can be involved. I don't think Grandma will change her mind about you being a student. But I wonder how you will still go to school until then."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"There's another school around here right? For the people in town? I could go to school online even," she said.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure there's a school in town," he said. He'd never seen it, but he assumed there was. "Online is just as good an option, but personally I would rather go to the town school."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"I really like my school back home," she said. "You know the one."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

He nodded. "Yeah, I do," he said. "It was a nice place, but things change."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

She sighed and sipped from the bag. "I know, I know. But it's no fun. I wish there was a way I could be in both places."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Duplication!" he declared. "Too bad that doesn't work. It'd be pretty cool. Having a twin just doesn't cut it."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"Well, duh. Unless you can go back to being just one person, than really don't ever experience what the other does. Which makes them not 'you'. If that makes sense," River said. She was still thinking of what she could do.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Bolt thought over what she said for a while and then realized he did understand, so he nodded. "Yeah, it does."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

(Back!)
"What else is there around campus?" River asked him. "You don't spend all of your time here, do you?"

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Um... There's a game room in the basement of the school. And there's supposedly a secret passage there, but I haven' found it yet. So I spend some time looking for it," Bolt said. "There's a music room I haven't ever been in, there's a pool...I can't think of more, but I know there is stuff."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"Passages like mom and dad talked about?" River asked. "Weren't those in the old building?"

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"I guess they built some new ones? I'm not sure. They could just be a myth," Bolt said. "I have yet to see any evidence of a secret passage."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

River shrugged. "They probably just hope there are, like the old ones. Watch someone blast a hole in the wall." She shook her head. "That'd make a good story."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Bolt laughed. "That would be pretty funny. And I wouldn't put it past some of these people. They would probably really do it."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"That's it!" River said excitedly.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Bolt raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What's it?" He asked.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"I'll start a newspaper," River said.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"That sounds cool," Bolt said. "Sounds like the perfect job for you, too."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"I know! I could talk to grandma about it. Plus it'll give me a reason to stick around and spend time at the school." She was thinking about all she could do.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"I'm sure she'll like the idea! And if you ever needed help, I'm sure I would be free," he said.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"It would be so cool!" She said, ideas already flooding her mind.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

He laughed. "Don't get too excited now. Grandma hasn't even said yes yet."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"Who even cares," River said. "News must be shared!"

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"Grandma might care if there's an illegal newspaper flying around," Bolt pointed out.

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

"How would it be illegal," River said, rolling her eyes. "I'm going to ask her, but I'm still going to make it if she says no. I'll tweak it so I dont break any rules."

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

Bolt shrugged. "I don't know how it could be, but anything's possible. Hopefully she'll just say yes. It'll be easier that way."

[Haaley, ᙏoᑯ oƒ ᙏᥲ⳽tᥱɾɩᥒɠ ᙃᥙᥒɠᥱoᥒ⳽]

River nodded. Her parents had been against the newspaper when she first started, particularly because of the trouble she was causing to get a story. She had to compromise in order to continue.

[☣ EMᕈRESS SERΔ ☣, Supreme Mod of Overcomplicated Projects]

"You want to look around the school some more now? Or do you want to go back?" Bolt asked, having finished his blood bag and tossing it away now.