Late Tuesday night, Front Hall

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Alex happens to be by the door when Lorna comes home from her date getting coffee. They opt not to play nice.


Alex was on sitting one of the benches by the front door, dressed in sweats and a Physics book in his lap. He needed to find someplace quiet to study since Shiro was playing video games with Leyu. Or so he told himself.. He had felt drawn to the front door since reading a certain post in the journals and he just glared back when passersby gave him pathetic looks.

Lorna jogged up the front steps, still chattering away on her phone to Brent as she had the entire drive home. Their conversation had long since left the thin excuse of class and at the moment, currently centered on the similarity between their childhoods. She was giggling at his story about being attacked by the neighbor’s rabbit as she slipped inside. She closed the door behind her and looked up to see Alex watching her. “Okay, Brent dear, I’m home safe now. Thanks so much. I had a great time.” She looked deliberately from her ex. “You too. I’ll see you Thursday. Bye!” She hung up.

Alex looked away when their eyes meet, his eyes going down to the book in his lap, which had been on the same page for about twenty minutes. It hurt to see her so happy, wishing that he could feel the same. "Where have you been all night?"

The urge to go to him, sit by him and rest her head on his shoulder was so painfully strong that her voice came out sharper than she intended when she compensated. “Out.” She raised an eyebrow at him, actually very surprised to see him there. It came off like a challenge, though she didn't mean it that way.

Alex raised an eyebrow at that, taking the unspoken challenge. Something in him was not only upset, but a tad bit angry. "I can see that. Who with?"

“I don’t see how that is any of your business.” A small sliver of panic curled through her, like she’d been caught cheating. But she wasn’t. They broke up and he had no right to make her feel like she had done something wrong.

"Excuse me for being curious." He stood up, closing, more like slamming, his book, Alex turned toward the stairs, hiding his flushed face. Yeah that was it, he was curious...not jealous. Sure she had every right to go out with other people, he didn't care, was just curious, that was all.

Lorna bit her knuckle to muffle a scream and stomped off to the kitchen to chop something into tiny tiny pieces. Maybe onions. Then tears could be explained away.

Watching her go out of the corner of his eye, Alex bit his lip, all thoughts of curiosity and jealousy banished by an overwhelming sense of guilt. He ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time, hoping Shiro was playing some violent and two player.