Can I Help You? [Christian]

[watson]

Grace was tired. It was only third period, and already she had sent Hannah Wallace and Jacob Markson home with Mono, then she had to deal with a positively distraught Jennifer Murray, who had apparently been dating Mr. Markson until the news broke. The rumor mill was quick here at Baum. Grace blamed the city. New York was alight with Gossip, something Grace had never had much time for.

Then of course there were the students trying to use her room for a safe haven from tests and reprimands for missing homework. Those were always fun to deal with. Of course, students were only allowed to stay there for 10 minutes, and if they were unwilling to call their parents after that, she would send them back to class with no note. Harsh yes, but she wasn't fooling around with that nonsense. And she would be calling their teachers as soon as they left her office to let them know that the student was on their way. After that, it was out of her hands.

Some of the teachers hated the interruptions, but Grace refused to budge on them. An education was important, and if the teachers didn't care enough, that was on them. She would do everything in her power to make sure that the students got back to class. However, third period was relatively quiet, and she had sent her aide out to pick up some lunch. There was this cheap salad bar a few blocks from the school that Grace was particularly fond of, and Dennis would return in time for lunch with a Chicken Caesar salad with her name on it.

Things were good right now. Without much to do, she settled back in her chair, pulling out some trashy romance novel her Cousin Bridget had let her borrow. She rolled her eyes at the trite plot, and the way the 'heroine' of the story was nothing more than a one-dimensional love interest who people only payed attention to because she had a large chest.

She closed the book in disgust, drumming her fingers idly on the desk, wanting desperately for something to break up the monotony of the day. She could call Tami, though that would be the wrong kind of distraction. Perhaps she could hold out until later, when Dr. Allingham would be free for a moment. The woman had a quiet intensity that Grace found charming, and always had something to talk about. That sounded like a good plan to stave off the boredom.

But what to do until then?

[CHRISTIAN REICHENBACH]

Christian Reichenbach had a whistle on his lips, today, as he roamed the halls lazily. He was bored, which was a dangerous emotion for the spoiled boy. When he became bored, his games to reamuse himself were dangerous and manipulative. Find the most united couple, and seduce them both away from their security. Hack into the school mainframe, give all the senior class INCOMPLETES, watch the fireworks begin. But even these sounded dull and played out. Trite games for children. But he had to think of something. The air was growing stagnant, and thus Christian became restless.

Perhaps it was his frame of mind. Maybe he simply needed to elevate. Not with pot, obviously. Pot slowed the brain down, and made you useless. And Christian hated uselessness. It was poison. Alcohol was similar in his book, though he would at times enjoy a fine glass of marlot. Never to get drunk, obviously, but to taste it. Try explaining that to the cretins that were his peers. LSD had it's perks, but there was far too much room to grow into a panic, and Christian enjoyed control. Not only did he enjoy it, Christian thrived on it. Heroine always just made him want to sleep, and was used only when he wanted to become contemplative for the evening. Cocaine- not to be confused with it's cheapened little brother crack- seemed obvious, but Christian hated the obvious.

Oh, pharmaceuticals. Adderall in particular. It was a favorite of his. Amphetamines were truly his choice. But, the boy he use to get them from had gotten caught, bloody idiot. Now his was served in the...

In the Nurse's office.

With a wide smile that enveloped his narrow face, Christian headed towards this destination. The nurse! Oh, when had the last time been where he messed with the faculty? That was always a great fun, as it had to be done very carefully. If you got too greedy, you became obvious, and you got found out. Christian, who was greedy by nature, found this challenging, and thus fun.

As he got closer to the office, his expression turned to one of somberness. There was a sadness in his eyes that could easily be taken for genuine, and perhaps on some level it was. But, so long as he stayed busy, there was never a need to think of such unpleasant things, was there?

Entering the office, he looked the lady nurse over. Attractive, almost in a homely way, if one could imagine. She wasn't going to be on the cover of Vogue or what have you, but she had an ugly pretty quality about her. Too confident to care what she put on her back. She was reading a cheap harlequin novel, and Christian's heart sank a little. He had been hoping for a challenge, but if she was fixated on that dribble, how intelligent and challenging could she be? This was most disappointing. But, he was here, and he might as well finish what he had started.

"Ma'am?" He announced himself politely. That's right, disarm her with manners. He stood before her, head hung down, shoulders drooping, eyes fixed on the floor and only glancing up at her briefly. "I'm not feeling very well. May I sit in here, or maybe get a pass to go back to my dorm?"