The hallways, Tuesday afternoon (during classes)

[nadiathesaint]

After Chemistry, Nadia pretty much just wants to stare into space. She knows she could go up to the fifth floor lounge and hang out there, but the other fifth floorers were probably all still hyped up over the bouncy balls, and she's not sure she wants to deal with that. The other lounges are out. She'd feel weird hanging out in the wrong one, at least, without being invited, and her attack on the other floors probably eliminated that possibility.

She's got this weird feeling in her chest. Has had it since she realized she'd forgotten to do any homework, or write in her journal for her parole officer, since Thursday. It's not fear; she knows from fear. It's just this . . . heaviness.

She plops down in the hallways by the lockers and curls her legs around her backpack. She leans back and just watches the people wander by.

[ooc: feel free to stop and say "hi" or tell her to move and get out of people's way, or whatever, open to all]

Comments

[chasingangela]

Angela almost trips over Nadia.

"Hey!" she says sharply, then notices the expression on the other girl's face. "Are you sick or anything?" she asks, fidgetign with the strap of her backpack.

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia blinks up at Angela for a moment, then seems to force herself to smile. "No, I'm okay. Just thinking." She shakes her head. "Sorry I'm in the way." She slowly unfolds. One of her legs has gone to sleep, so it takes a moment.

[chasingangela]

"It's not a problem," Angela says. "This place can be overwhelming. There's a lot to think about."

She hesitates for a moment, trying to decide whether she should start a conversation with Nadia or whether it was better to leave her alone. It's not as though she'd be much comfort to anyone right now.

"So, um, how are your classes?" she says finally.

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia stiffens just the tiniest bit at the mention of classes, but over all they hadn't actually been bad, so she forces herself to relax. She shrugs again, not quite meeting Angela's eyes. "They're okay. They're classes, they're not supposed to be wonderful, right?" She looks down at her foot as she works her ankle a bit to restore feeling. "How are yours?"

[chasingangela]

"Too much," Angela says with a groan. "Last term I wasn't working in the library, so I had more time to give my classes, y'know? Now I have harder classes and the job. I'm going to have to drop something if I want to have a social life."

"And you're right, they aren't supposed to be wonderful. But doable would be good."

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia's smile gets a little bit more real. "That does sound rough. What are you taking?"

[chasingangela]

"Right now? Music, history of art, medieval history, sociology of the paranormal, math and government. But I think I'm dropping the medieval history, which sucks 'cause the teacher is cool, but I need everything else to get into college," she rattles off. "What about you?"

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia lowered her head to hide her embarrassment and rubbed at her hair. "Oh, it's my first time in school, so I'm just taking three classes. Um, shop, foreign literature, and chemistry." She decides a change of subject, or redirection of it, at least, is in order. "You're going to college?"

[chasingangela]

"Of course. I mean, assumign I graduate and can get in and everything," Angela says, a little puzzled. She's known she was going to college since she started kindergarten, and possibly before. "Wait, this is your first time in school? Were you home-schooled or something?"

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia found something really interesting to look at on the wall. Like, an old campaign poster or something. "More of a 'self-study' program. If I wanted to learn something, I had to go out and do it myself." She glanced back at Angela, more than a little envious of someone who was so confident about what she was doing with her life. "I can't even imagine going to college. It must be so exciting."

[chasingangela]

Angela's eyebrows shoot up. She's just as impressed with Nadia as Nadia is with her. "Oh, wow. I would never, ever learn anything except maybe English clas stuff if I had to do that. And Sidle's classes are *hard.*"

She shrugs. "College isn;t that big a deal where I come from. My mom would kill me if I didn't go, basically."

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia shook her head. "I know people who would probably kill me for going. They'd say I sold out, or something." She looks directly at Angela for the first time. "English is one of the biggest things I've taught myself. You'd be amazed at what you learn when you think you have to." She looks away again. "For survival, I mean. Not just for grades."

Ooo! Look! Another campaign poster! And a shiny change of subject. "Wow. So Marty really didn't want to run for student government, did he?"

And Nadia has no clue that she's probably stomping on Angela's toes and heart right now.

[chasingangela]

Angela bites her lower lip, suddenly very curious about where and how Nadia grew up. But she figures it's a subject that can wait for another time, when they know each other better.

"Different worlds," is all she says. And then, softly: "No. He really, really didn't."

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia glad enough that Angela isn't pressing her that she doesn't press back. "Well. I'd better get out of people's way." She starts down the hall a bit, then turns back slightly. "I, um, I know we don't know each other very well, and you probably have some really strange first impressions of me? But I also taught myself how to listen, so . . . ." She shrugs. "If you ever want to . . . ." She adjusts her backpack. "Talk. About anything."

[chasingangela]

Angela smiles, genuinely touched. "Thanks."

"I'm usually in the library, if you want to talk. About anything."

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia tilts her head and then nods. "Okay." She offers a small smile. "Thanks." The smile gets a little ironic as she hefts her backpack. "I've gotta go read some poetry. I'll see you around, okay?"

[chasingangela]

"Later," Angela says, heading to her own history class.