[] Tell her that she shouldn't worry so much, not when they still have class coming.
-[] Escort her to her classroom.
You look at her, trying and failing to say something to you. It reminds you of the time you caught her eating the vanilla-lime flavored popsickle you were saving for later. She looked a hundred times as guilty now as she does then.
And you remember she hasn't paid you back for that popsickle.
Vivian is not the kind of person to verbalize or imply. Words and thoughts weren't her forte, they were yours. She was more physically oriented, preferring to express herself via action.
Her method of complex communication often involved actions. Doing something, showing the complete results, and hoping its recipient understood or accepted it. You know this because you were often the recipient of many such acts; whether they be hugs or chocolates or offers to do your chores for you for a whole week, your twin would
show her honest regret for what she's done, not tell you.
She never cried, though. Not after you told her how meaningless crying over split milk was, and that the energy she spent could be put to better use doing something else. And that was
years ago.
You can see it in her eyes, even now; to her, there was nothing she could do to show you just how much she regrets keeping you out of the loop. And no matter how amused your darker parts are at watching your twin squirm, the
rest of you aren't.
But you aren't a pushover. You know when to draw the line and push back. This is a lesson to her, as it is to you; that actions carry consequences. You are far from pleased at the prospect of your family keeping such a bug secret from you, but you aren't so immature as to turn into some angsty bitch. No, you'll handle this like a responsible, mature person.
You pat your sister's shoulder and give her a small smile.
"It's still too early in the morning for you to be worrying, Viv." you tell her. "We've still got a day full of classes to work through. C'mon, I'll walk you to yours. There's still some time."
The tension in your twin's shoulders dissipates a little bit and a fragile, tentative smile graces her lips. She gives you a tiny nod and falls into step besides you as you lead her to her class. She inches a little closer than normal, close enough to brush her shoulder with yours. You think it's more to reassure herself than you, but you don't mind.
You find Joshua outside Vivian's classroom, looking around somewhat anxiously. He relaxes a little once he spots you both, but you can tell it's Vivian he's more focused on. You smile and lead your twin to him, where they both exchange greetings and she moves inside.
"What happened?" Joshua asks. Spending a childhood with him has given the young man some awareness to the female emotional spectrum, it seems. "Vivian's been a bit distant since this morning."
"Family troubles. Led to me staying with a friend last night." you shrug, smiling apologetically. "We'll get it sorted when we get back. No biggie."
"You sure?" Joshua presses. You roll your eyes and pat his cheek a
little too hard "Ow."
"I'm sure. Relax. Everything's fine." you smile at him. "Now I gotta get going. Class is about to start."
"If you're sure..." Joshua nods uncertainly, and you take that as permission to scurry away.
You reach class just as the bell sounds. Everyone's in their little cliques, talking about something or other. You catch Jojo slumped dejectedly in his seat, scribbling something in a notebook. He looks up at you as you pass and gives you a smile in greeting, but it's strained at best. His eyes are red from crying, and his grip on his pencil is terrifying.
Your homeroom teacher steps into class before you can talk to him.
x-x-x-x-x
Class comes and goes as quickly as it always does, the important bits of lessons jotted down in your handy notebook. Jojo doesn't seem to register much of what's being taught, seemingly going through the motions in a daze.
He only becomes aware when the teachers ask him questions, which he answers easily enough.
When the recess bell rings, everyone moves to file out of class. Oscar and Eliza are no exception, moving with the crowd and disappearing with everyone else to fill up their empty stomachs with tasty cafeteria food.
Everyone, but Jojo.
He sits still at his desk, eyes staring at the scribbles in his notebook. You take a closer look and find that the scribbles aren't actually scribbles, but sketches depicting places and unfamiliar people.
One such sketch has the handsome face of a young man, crossed out with deep graphite strokes and the name 'DIO' written under it. Jojo seems to be staring at that particular sketch the hardest.
[] Talk to Jojo
- [] Say what?
[] Head to the library
- [] Read a book
- [] Study (DC 15 Intelligence, 1/3 Progress to perk Upgrade)
[] Head to the cafeteria for something to eat
[] Find...
- [] Vivian
- [] Joshua
- [] Oscar
- [] Elizabeth
[] Hang out elsewhere:
- [] The rooftop
- [] The front courtyard
- [] The back courtyard
- [] The Arts and Crafts rooms
- [] The Electronic Media room
- [] The Auditorium
- [] The Music room
