MonsterHearts:Welcome to Elsinore

Wednesday August 13th, 7:55 AM Wildomar
Elsinore High School
**Elsinore High school, standing as a clearly dated establishment, the school is made up of old brick and mortar buildings that show their age even in the damp morning air. Groups of students walk to and fro, making their way to class as the bell had just rung moments earlier, however several groups still stand chatting as if they had absolutely no intention of attending their homeroom class. The quad is full of the sounds of laughing, shouting, and various teachers yelling out, unseen somewhere in the distance, to try and get the nonchalant teenagers to their homeroom. As the second bell rings, the groups of students begin to pick up their packs, grab their books, and finish eating their breakfast as they quickly make way for their first homeroom of the new year.**

**Chris paces through the schoolyard, new to not only the school and the small town it belongs to, but also the entirety of California, he quickly feels out of place, which a strong homesickness building in the pit of his stomach. He walks a bit hunched, unassuming and trying not to make eye-contact with the other students. Back home in Kentucky he had and made friends easily, and even had a short-time girlfriend. He wasn't at the top of the pyramid, but he sat comfortably enough to keep from being an outcast. Here he was new, he didn't know anyone and no one knew him. These thoughts of impending loneliness were thrown aside as he looked around the school's entrance for the office, something that was difficult to do without looking the other students in the eyes.**

**As he looks around Chris manages to spot a sign just between two groups of walking students. Weathered and clearly having been cleaned of graffiti recently, the sign is mounted to a wall on the left. It reads:**

**Front Office**
**Quad ->**
**Eastern Campus ^**
**Gym ->**
**Western Campus ->**
**Chris looks around at the other students leaving for class as he adjusts his backpack and then makes way to the wall. He squeezes passed a few students on the way, walking against the wall to stay out of the path of anyone. He reaches what he assumes to be the front office and opens the door, making his way inside.**

**As soon as he walks into the office, Chris collides with a large brawny young man. Standing at 6'4" and likely being nearly 200lbs. of muscle, he almost sends Chris stumbling backwards.\***

**Blake**: Watch where you're walk'n twerp! He says as he looks Chris up and down. **Blake sneers with an arrogant smirk.**

**Chris**: **He catches his footing quickly by grabbing the doorknob. He looks to Blake, quickly ready to say something in return, but bites his tongue, not wanting to cause a scene.**

**Taylor**: **((Using "'***Patience is a Virtue'***". Rolling with** ***Cold*** **5 + 2 + 2** **Cold** **is 9.** **Marking experience** **. Blake gains** "***Snake Food***" **condition.)**

**Chris**: **He straightens himself out before looking away from Blake with obvious irritation.**

**Blake's arrogant smirk widens into a smile, seeing that he's still the big dog on campus. He pushes passed Chris, pressing him against the door as he does, and then turns the corner of the doorframe out of sight.**

**Chris**: **He watches Blake leave, letting out an annoyed, but quiet, groan. He walks forward into the office, letting go of the door so that it closes behind him. With the first interaction being hostile at this new school, he already just wants the day to be over. He makes his way to the front desk.**

**A receptionist with poorly dyed hair and plastic press-on nails sits behind the desk, seemingly oblivious to the slight altercation that just too place between Chris and Blake. She's clicking a one-button mouse in a slow tempo as she stares at the blue screen vacantly. After a moment she notices Chris and looks to him.**

**Receptionist**: Whaddya need hun? **Her voice is kind, but has an aloofness to it, like she'd rather be somewhere else.**

**Chris**: I'm new here, just transferred... Uhh. **Chris stumbles around his words for a moment, forgetting why he's here. The forgetfulness passes quickly.** I didn't get a class schedule mailed to my home, so I need to pick one up to... Know what my classes are. **He sighs quietly and looks down, his nerves getting the best of him.**

**Receptionist**: **She smiles, showing perfectly white teeth.** What's your name?

**Chris**: Chris Courier, I just... Transferred here.

**Receptionist**: Alright Chris, let me see if I can pull up your class schedule and get it printed out for you, you can take a seat over there if you like. **She points to a row of three plastic chairs against the wall under the window, they're pushed uncomfortably close to each other as the sitting space is very small. Another boy is already sitting in one of them.** It'll be a few minutes, so I'll write you up a late-slip for class. The woman looks back at her computer screen.

**Chris**: **He walks over to the chairs, looking at the other boy for a split-second before sitting down in the seat farthest from him, putting his backpack on the floor next to him. He stares at the walls quietly and awkwardly.**

**Liam**: **He sits there, bored and unassuming, he's tapping his fingers across his knees, a small grey pouch strapped around his shoulders, which he holds close with on hand. As a quiet minute passes he turns and glances at Chris for a split-second before looking away. Another few seconds pass and he lets out a long sigh.** So you're new here? **He says it without looking in Chris's direction.**

**Chris**: **He seems to be broken from a daydream and he quickly looks over at the young man.** Um, What? **He bites the tip of his tongue, judging whether this kid is going to be hostile or friendly from the question he asked.**

**Liam**: **He turns and looks at Chris with an awkward smirk.** You're new? First day?

**Chris**: **He looks down and away.** Yeah. Just moved here.

**Liam**: From where?

**Chris**: **His eyebrows twist with a little of both confusion and annoyance.** Kentucky. **He wonders why this guy is asking him questions. He just wants to get to class so that the day and be over and he can go home.**

**Liam**: Shit that's far, ever been to Socal before?

**Chris**: ...Socal? **After a split second he remembers the meaning.** No, I've never been anywhere on the west coast before. **He looks away from Liam, his awkward attitude is being replaced with quiet annoyance.**

**Liam**: **He looks away and up at the halogen lights in the ceiling.** So your folks move you out here?

**Chris**: **He bites his bottom lip, wondering if he should even keep responding, after a moment though he remembers his earlier feeling of dread, going all year without any friends.** Yeah... Well my mom did.

**Liam**}: Sucks, couldn't just wait until the end of senior year huh?

**Chris**: I guess it couldn't. **He goes quiet, still unsure of why his family moved all the way out here. After a short moment of thought he decides that engaging in further conversation would be a good idea if he wants this guy as a friend.** So what are you here for? Did they forget to send you your class papers too?

**Liam**: **He smirks playfully in response.** Nah, I'm getting one of my classes changed.

**Chris**: Oh. **He looks away and goes back to biting the inside of his lower lip in silence.**

**At that moment the office door opens and a tall young man with messy blonde hair and green eyes walks in, carrying a nearly empty backpack with him. The receptionist seems to immediately notice him.**

**Receptionist**: First day back and you're already late Mr. O'Dwyer? **She seems annoyed, but at the same time uncaring, making it obvious that the boy is frequently late to school.**

**Odie**: **He smirks and shakes his head as he walks up and leans forwards on the front desk with his forearms.** I'm arriving in style Linda. **He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a note.** I blew out a tire on the way to school this morning. **He hands the note over to Linda, who snatches it quickly.**

**Receptionist**: You know these police notes are only going to get you so far this year, we have new policies on being late. **She begins to type something up into the computer. The sound of a loud, and obviously old, printer or copy machine can be heard from somewhere behind her desk.** We're not going to tolerate this tardiness this year. **She turns around and slides in her chair out of Chris and Liam's line of sight to get to the printer, after a short moment she slides back and puts a few papers up in front of Odie as he moves his forearms off of the desk and stands up straight.** Here's your late slip, and while you're at it give these papers to the young man sitting in the corner and show him to his homeroom class. He's new here.

**Odie**: **He shakes his head slightly.** Anything for you Linda. **He grabs the papers, shoving his slip into his jeans pocket. He turns and looks at Chris.** Haven't seen you here before, so I'm guessing she means you? **He holds out Chris's late slip and two papers with a map of the school and his class schedule.**

**Chris**: **He nods quickly and stands up, grabbing his backpack and throwing it around his shoulders as he slides it on.** Yeah. **He looks nervous again suddenly, and reverts to being slightly awkward. He grabs the papers from Odie and looks them over.**

**Odie**: Alright then, follow me señor. **He heads out of the office.**

**Chris**: **He looks at Liam, almost waving goodbye to him, but quickly decides**
that would be out of place. Instead he gives him a slight nod as he follows Odie out.

**Liam**: Seeya 'round. **He quietly hopes to himself that he'll actually see Chris around. Strike that. He knows he'll be seeing him around, and he smirks to himself darkly. This year he's going to get everything he wants, and he has the power to make sure of it.**

**A young girl, likely a freshman, walks out into the office and waves at the receptionist before going out the door, hurrying to class.**

**Receptionist**: Dr. Thredson will see you now Liam. **She straightens up some papers and then stands up to look over the front of her desk at him to see if he's still there.**

**Liam**: **He doesn't respond, standing up and walking passed the front desk and into the counselor's office.**

**Dr. Thredson**: **He's sitting behind his desk, a man in his mid 50's, he's aged surprisingly well and much of the female students, and some of the male ones as well, finding him quite attractive, with his handsomely aged and clean-shaven looks and piercing blue eyes being his most easily noticed features. He looks up at Liam as he enters, a serious expression on his face.** So what are we here for this morning Liam? **He says it professionally, always calling all the student by their first name, and having the kindness and state of mind to somehow remember everyone who comes to his office. This level of charisma only seems to add to his reputation among the student body as being someone everyone likes, it also makes his personality more magnetic and approachable.**

**Liam**: I wanted to get my classes changed, I don't want to be stuck- Uhh, I mean of course that I don't want to take Biology this early in the morning, right after Homeroom? I'd like to take it later in the day.

**Dr. Thredson**: Well let me bring up last years records. You passed Science II last year? **He turns to the large computer monitor on his desk puts on his glasses, the blue of the screen reflecting in the lenses as he starts to click through documents to bring up Liam's record.**

**Liam:** Yeah... **He purposely leaves out the fact that he barely got a C- in the class.**

**Dr. Thredson**: **He stares at the screen for a moment, his eyes darting left and right as he reads over Liam's grades and behavioral records.** Well, I see here that you only got a sixty-seven, a C-, in Mr. Bewford's class. The only Biology classes we have in the afternoon are AP classes. He looks from the screen, directly into Liam's eyes.

**Liam**: **He curses quietly to himself in his head.** Well I can pass them. I'm taking school a lot more seriously this year. **He nods quickly.**

**Illiadius**: **(Using** **The Power Flows Through Me** **to add 2 to Liam's attempt to "'***Manipulate Dr. Thredson'***" into changing Liam's classes. Rolling with** **Hot** **4 + 6 - 1** **Hot** **is 11.** **Marking experience)**

**Dr. Thredson**: **He looks away from Liam and back to the computer.** Well if you're going to work hard at it this year I suppose I can allow it. We're going to have to give you a completely new schedule, as there's no history classes in the morning. **He starts clicking through documents to edit Liam's new schedule.**

**Liam**: **He smirks darkly again and looks to the side. He thinks for a moment about the cute guy he saw in the office a few minutes ago, as he dwells on this he mentally requests Avarada to tell him what Chris's classes are.**

**Illiadius**: **(Rolling for Liam to** "**Gaze Into the Abyss**". **4 + 3 + 2** **Dark** **is 9.** **Marking experience)**

**Liam receives a lucid vision of Chris's class sheet, but the vision mentally tires him due to its nature, giving him the "Drained" condition.**

**Liam**: **He shakes off the feeling of fatigue and looks up to Dr. Thredson. I know exactly which classes I want. He smiles ever so slightly.**

***Meanwhile...***

**Odie**: So, you like'n it here in California so far? **He's walking ahead of Chris leading him down a long hallway, passing various classrooms on the way. He seems to just be making conversation in order to keep away an awkward silence.**

**Chris**: Just got here two days ago... Seems alright so far. I always assumed everywhere in California was next to the beach for some reason. **He looks into each of the classrooms they pass, for no real reason other than there's nothing else to do.**

**Odie**: Most of this state is actually desert or mountains, not really like 90210. **He shakes his head.** Anyway, here we are. Homeroom with the brutally pragmatic Mr. Hammer. **He opens the door and walks into class.**

**Chris**: **He follows Odie into the class.**

**Mr. Hammer**: Glad to see you grace us with your presence this morning Brendan, what's your excuse for being late today? **He's standing at the front of the class. His voice is stern and strict, as is his appearance, having combed back brown hair and cold grey eyes behind a pair of sharp-framed black glasses. He wears a button up blazer with a tie, making him look more like a businessman than a teacher.**

**Odie**: **He walks up and hands Mr. Hammer his late slip.** Car trouble. **He looks to the kids in class and nods to one of them. It seems like Odie has a reputation of some kind everywhere in school.**

**Mr. Hammer**: Yes, I'm sure. **He doesn't even look at the note, tossing it into the trash can next to his desk.** Take a seat Brendan.

**Odie**: **Every time Mr. Hammer calls him Brendan he seems to almost wince in anger.** Sure thing Hammer time. **A few of the students laugh quietly and Odie makes his way to a seat in the back corner, sitting down.**

**Mr. Hammer**: You must be Chris. **He holds out his hand for Chris's late slip.**

**Chris**: Yeah. **He looks at the class for a moment as he walks up to Mr. Hammer and hands him the note.**

**Mr. Hammer**: **He reads it over for a moment.** Alright, take a seat anywhere you like. **He turns back to the board and begins to write something down.**

**Chris**: **He turns and looks at the class, spotting a seat in the back near Odie, he walks back and sits there unassumingly.**

**Liam**: **As Chris sits down the door to the class bursts open and Liam practically stumbles into class, his pack nearly sliding off from around his shoulder. He looks like he's run here, not so much to get on time, but out of some kind of excitement.**

**Mr. Hammer**: **He looks with irritation from the board.** Can I help you? **The second interruption this morning obviously trying what little patience he has.**

**Liam**: Y-yeah. **He walks up to Mr. Hammer and hands him his note.** Dr. Thredson transferred me to this class at the last minute. **He looks at the class nervously.**

**A few of the students giggle quietly, some of them obviously making fun of Liam's clumsiness.**

**Mr. Hammer**: **He reads the note over.** Go take a seat Liam. He goes back to writing on the board.

**Liam**: **He eyes a seat near Chris and quickly makes his way down the aisle towards it, sitting down and nodding slightly to Chris, making sure to hide his happiness.**

**Mr Hammer**: **He finishes writing up on the board and turns to look at the class.** I'm sure my reputation precedes me, but for those of you that somehow don't know me, or haven't had me as a teacher before, you can call me Mr. Hammer. **He narrows his cold eyes behind his sharp black-framed glasses.** If you have me for Homeroom, then that means you're a Senior this year, and if you're a Senior that's taking English, it means you have me for English II or AP Literature this semester, as luckily enough for all of you- **His voice turns stern and almost foreboding.** I am the only Language Arts teacher that's taking seniors this year. **He seems to have an air of satisfaction suddenly.** Every year I get the question, "Can one fail Homeroom?" to which my answer is always "Yes". If you do not apply yourself in your other classes here at Elsinore, you will fail this class as well... **There's collective groans and sighs from the students.** Especially if you're failing one of my classes.

**Odie**: How is it that someone asks that question every year if you always answer it the first day?

**Mr Hammer**: **He takes a long, deep, breath.** Because, Brendan, certain students are too busy talking to actually listen to what I'm saying. You being a prime example. For those of you who don't know, by the way, Brendan here failed my Homeroom last year. So I specially requested that he be in my homeroom this year so that he could attempt to impressive me with his educational acumen... **He glares across the class at Odie, who rolls his bright green eyes and slouches in his chair. Mr. Hammer sets his marker on his desk.** Following along that thought, I'll see you in afterschool detention for your outburst Brendan. **Odie lets out an exasperated sigh.** As for the rest of you, take note of Brendan's behavior. Learn from his example of what not to do. Or don't. It's your grade. Not mine. **He holds out his hands.** Welcome to senior year.