herbert and peyton

Who: Herbert to Harper
When: 9:19AM

Hallo, Harper. Olivia said you called. Are you okay? Are they still attacking you? Call me back. Oh-- and, errum, I don't think I'll be in at work today. Olivia isn't letting me go to school, so I doubt she'll let me go to work, either... if that's a problem, call me back and tell me and maybe I can use that to make her let me leave the apartment.


Who: Herbert to Peyton
When: 9:23AM

Peyton? Is your phone off? Where are you? Call me back, I'm kind of worried. I got attacked, so did Sammy-- he's okay, Geo and I made sure nothing got to him, but I'm worried that you're being attacked, too. Call me back. Tell me how you're doing, okay? Bye.

Who: Herbert and Peyton
Where: MSHS
When: Fourth period, science

It was kinda nice to be in school, sometimes. Herbert could smell and hear the effects of tension, but only from a very few people on campus, so it was easier to ignore than it was at home or at Nevermore. He'd had several people come in the evening before who had definitely seemed upset, and had wanted to know about ghosts, mirrors, specters, all sorts of things that Herbert was coming to associate with those things Olivia saw, and that he had seen all of once in Nevermore's mirror. It was gone, now, but impossible to put from his mind, given how many other people apparently still saw them.

But school was better. Here he could focus on learning things, or trying to anyway, and seeing his friends. He got to science a little early, feeling refreshed from playing tag-football outside in the brisk air-- spirits be praised, he wasn't starting to feel sleepy yet!-- and dropped his things down, looking for Peyton to come in sometime after him.

Who: Peyton and Herbert
When: Science class
When: Third period, morning

Peyton wasn't feeling all that well. Most of it was a sick feeling in her stomach from what had happened to Geo and Sammy's parents, but there was something else. A bug maybe, though she prayed she wasn't getting sick. She never missed school, except for days she'd ran into giant snake men, but she figured that had been a good reason. She'd felt off ever since she woke up and had shrugged off her dad's concerns, and then Tyler's as he drove them both to school. She already decided by the end of first period that after she ran her errands after school she'd go home and just sleep, and maybe by morning she'd feel better.

Trudging her way to science, she went directly for the class rather than trying to find Isaac. As much as she wanted to, the idea of sitting down and resting her head on the desk for awhile before she actually had to pay attention was far too tempting to pass up. Herbert wasn't there yet, so she climbed onto the stool, set her bag in front of her and folded her arms against it before resting her cheek against them, watching for Herbert.

Who: Sent to Herbert, Leija, Caleb, Geo and Isaac
When: 7:00pmish

Who: Sent to Herbert
When: 7:00pmish

hey - checking in to make sure you're okay. see you at school tomorrow? (if we have it) - p

Who: Herbert and Peyton
Where: Peyton's House
When: Early afternoon, 1:30ish

Peyton was finally taking a break from focusing completely on werethings and vampires. She was sitting at her piano, trying to do nothing but pay attention to the notes she was playing. It had been a surreal couple of weeks. Everything seemed to have completely unraveled when Isaac disappeared and now she was pretty sure nothing was going to be the same again. She wasn't quite sure how to feel about it, or what to think. It was a new experience, frightening and a bit exciting - the non-scary stuff. People she knew were beginning to tell her things she would have scoffed at weeks before, but how could she not believe them now? Now that she's seen David, and Geo shift, and Thom and Isaac perform magic? She had to believe now, didn't she? Peyton shook her head, reminding herself that she wasn't thinking about that right now. All she was going to think about was playing music and pretending to be a normal teenage girl, completely oblivious to everything going on outside the sanctuary of her own home. Just for a few more minutes... and then she would go back to blatantly worrying about it.

Oblivious, himself, to how he was likely to upset his friend's moment of not-thinking-about-it, Herbert was cycling slowly up to Peyton's house, mostly just coasting and sitting back, one hand on the handlebars and the other cradling the newly-hatched duckling against his chest to keep it warm. He was wet-- he'd ridden through a spat of rain on his way over that had the duckling shaking its downy little feathers and quack-peeping in surprise-- but he didn't particularly care. He was in a much better mood now than he had been before, and a little rain wasn't going to spoil that.

Dismounting and setting the bicycle against the porch steps-- fun to do one-handed-- Herbert climbed the stairs and shook himself off a little once in front of the door before knocking. He'd probably make an interesting picture: still bruised, hair and shirt plastered down with rain, and a tiny, dozing duck on the palm of one big hand.

Who: Herbert and Peyton
Where: The phone
When: Mid-morning, 'round 10

With his phone call to Charlie finished, the idea struck Herbert that he probably ought to check in with some other friends, too. If he could have run into trouble the night before... couldn't someone else? He didn't have everyone he knew's phone number, but he did have a few. Peyton was on the top of his own mental list, since he'd already talked to Olivia and Charlie and texted Sammy-- he hoped that'd gone through. Maybe he'd try again today, if he could find the menu. He felt a little less fuzzy-headed today.

But Peyton first. He still hadn't gotten her number into his cell phone, so he just looked it up in his notebook and dialed on the house line, sprawled on his stomach across his sleeping-bag-plus-mattress bed while he waited for her to pick up. He hoped she'd pick up. If she didn't, he might have to go hunting for her.

Who: Peyton and Herbert
When: After school
Where: Herbert's Apartment

With Isaac spending time at Thom's after school, Peyton had been a bit too eager to jump at Herbert's offer to hang out. She was finding her mind went off into several unwanted directions lately when she was home alone, so she waited for him after school, watching kids walk out of the building and head home. She chewed on her lower lip, knowing that Herbert would be impossible to miss when he came outside. She just hoped he hadn't forgotten about his invitation. She really didn't know what they would do at his place. Maybe work on homework? Totally dull but she sucked at science, so it wouldn't be the worst thing if he helped her out. What was good was that she'd be out of the house and focusing on something other than weird so she didn't really care what they did.

Who: Peyton and Herbert
When: Evening
Where: Carnival

As the night wore on, Peyton grew restless sitting at home and she grabbed her iPod and cell phone to head out for a walk. It was a nice evening, if a bit chilly from all of the rain as of late. She walked through Marquette toward the lakeshore, a thousand thoughts racing through her head. She focused on clearing them out, closing her eyes every now and then to let her body relax. The walk made her feel a bit better, and after awhile, she turned to head back home. The lights and sounds from the carnival by the Ice Arena drew her in and she decided to walk through it on her way home. She usually really liked the carnival, even if it was pretty tame. Her parents, when they were together, would drag she and her siblings every year, but the last couple years were decidedly different, what with Cynthia in college and their parents divorced.

Pulling her earplugs out, she slid her iPod into her jacket pocket and began to wander through, glancing at the booths, smelling the funnel cakes and cotton candy. It made her feel better, to be there, even if she was alone. It seemed normal - familiar. A nice distraction from the worry of the last couple of days.

Who: Herbert and Peyton
Where: MHSH, and then Peyton's porch
When: 4th period

The rumors were really starting to bother Herbert. Well, really, they'd bothered him all morning, but by now it was taking a lot of effort not to growl at people when he heard them. Kaysen and Thom and Leija and Isaac were not dead. They weren't.

Charlie's unhappiness the class period before hadn't helped, at all, either, though he'd certainly not been tempted to growl at her. More on her behalf, or at anyone who might speak one of those horrible rumors in her presence and upset her more. He'd tried to be reassuring, because Charlie was his closest friend and he hated to see her upset, but he didn't know how well he'd done. By the time he got to science, he was definitely planning to leave at lunch. Go see Dorian. He certainly wasn't learning anything except how to keep his temper in check.

But he did have to go to science. If anyone else besides Charlie would know if Isaac had made any contact or had been hurt or anything, it would be Peyton. It had been pretty obvious at the party Saturday that the two of them were at least on affectionate terms, and surely, if he were home, she'd know. Herbert came into class with eyes only for Peyton, and made a beeline for their desk without sidetracking to say hi to anyone once.