It seems faintly absurd to be going to school as if nothing happened, but life goes on, as the saying goes.
Liam is quiet and subdued as they walk through the gates, not looking around as he usually does for people to greet or friends to catch up with. Rowan is no better, retreating inside her own head as usual.
Neither of them look like they slept well.
Scott doesn't look much better. He's sitting on the steps outside the school when they arrive.
Liam almost walks right past him, something he'd never do if everything was fine, let alone when Scott is so obviously in distress now he's paying attention.
"Hey," he says quietly. "How'd you sleep?"
Meaning, 'How late did you stay up thinking about what happened yesterday?'
"Not bad," which is certainly a lie.
"Can we all meet somewhere? I haven't talked to the others yet, but I think we have to do something before long."
Liam looks sheepish.
"There might be a problem with that, if you were planning to meet outside of school hours," Rowan says.
"Our dad grounded Liam after we came home late yesterday. He's only allowed to leave the house for school."
"I'm allowed to stay for baseball practice on Wednesdays."
Liam doesn't look thrilled at the prospect.
"Nothing else. If we're late again, he's threatened to send a taxi to fetch us right after school finishes."
"We can use our lunch to talk, if I can just get everyone together. I haven't seen any of the others yet."
"I can help spread the word to the ones you don't usually talk to," Liam offers.
"We should probably try not to behave too obviously different, given the whole...thing." Any of their classmates could have an alien slug in their head and none of this is at all okay--
There's a time and place to freak out about that; for Liam it was last night, alone in his room with the door locked.
"Between the three of us, we're probably in classes with most of the group," he continues. "Who do we need...Allison, Stiles, Callie, and David. Not too difficult."
Liam has to think about it, so Rowan answers first.
"I...wanted to see what would happen?" she begins hesitantly, not sure if the question was even directed at her or just her brother.
"Knowledge is power, and if we're going to...do something about this, then we need to know as much as possible. If we'd run sooner, there are things we wouldn't have found out."
Liam nods.
"That, and...it felt like the sort of thing that ought to be witnessed. I'd have felt wrong just leaving him to die alone."
He glares a little, as if daring either of them to comment.
Scott nods thoughtfully.
"I see Callie first period, I can talk to her then. And I can talk to Stiles in second period. Can you guys get to everyone else by lunch?"
"I can talk to David in first period?" Rowan volunteers.
"I think I'm the only one who has a morning class with him. I have second period with Allison as well, if that's helpful?"
"I can talk to Allison in English," Liam adds.
"Stiles too, although I don't think he likes me that much."
He seems to be in better spirits now they have a plan and something to do.
"He probably likes you more than he likes me. But I can do it, if you want. I think that should work."
"Sounds like a plan," Liam agrees.
And now they should probably get to class.
"See you in Chem. Rowan, we'll see you at lunch."
Scott goes to math. It's a strange feeling, knowing he's surrounded by aliens. He looks at his classmates and wonders.
Before he has a chance to notice she's entered the room, Callie is at his desk.
"We need to talk."
He stands up, grabs his backpack, and walks out.
The teacher sputters awkwardly but directs the attention back to the material as best as possible.
Meanwhile, Liam walks into English and looks around for Allison.
There she is, sitting in the back, by the window.
She seems distracted.
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