Not quite a crowd, it's the middle of the week, but there's the group of students from his school amongst whom he can hide, probably.

He moves quickly to a display near the school group that blocks him from view of the room's entrance, then takes off his jacket and starts looking at some of the other museum displays, trying to act like he's been there all along.

He apparently succeeds. The security guard finds the teacher and questions her, which causes her to question the students. None of them seemed to have noticed Theo's absence, and none admit to having seen any 'Clow Book' anywhere.

Phew.

Now that the action is over, he wonders why he was so intent on getting away. Surely they'd notice it wasn't his fault?

Not like he'd want to risk it, though.

Well, whichever way, they seem to not find him.

And he still has that card.

Indeed he does, though by now he's put it in his backpack - a 12" by 4" card is pretty conspicuous.

Eventually the school trip ends and he goes home.

Someone eventually closes the book and puts it back, and when no one's looking, something happens.

Theo's in his bedroom, earphones in, listening to music. He's sitting on his bed, back against the wall.

His room is rectangular, with his bed, a chest of drawers, and a window on one side, and a desk and bookshelf on the other side, with a door opposite a window in the middle of the long edges.

There is a soft tapping on the window by the bedroom, probably too soft for Theo to hear.

La-la-la.

Definitely too soft for Theo to hear.

The tapping becomes a bit more insistent.

Nope. Still not loud enough for Theo to hear it.

Maybe the tapping should try the other window.

The tapping unfortunately does not come up with that idea. Instead it becomes even more insistent and loud. Rather like a bird headbutting the glass.

Oh, well, if it's that loud it might get a response out of Theo.

"Yeah, Dad, what? I'm busy!" he shouts, in the direction of the door.

Dad does not respond, apparently.

The tapping, on the other hand, becomes loud enough that it's pretty clear even with the music on that it's coming from the window.

That causes Theo to take notice, and pull off his headphones, looking in the direction of the window with a mixture of shock and suspicion.

Tap tap TAP.

It's too dark to really make out whatever's causing the noise, at least at that angle.

Continuing to look worried, he goes to turn the light on, then walks closer to the window, trying to get a glimpse of the source of the tapping.

...it looks like an orange ping pong ball, in the gloom, repeatedly banging against the glass.

... What.

"Haha, so funny." he says to whoever's moving the ping pong ball. Obviously it's someone who thinks they're very funny. "Get away from my window or I'll call the police."

Either the person can't hear him or they're choosing to ignore him, for the orange ping pong ball keeps hitting the glass.

"No, seriously," he says, as he starts looking around for the person. "Get away from my window."

He looks around for the person from a few different angles.

No person.

... Well, that was unexpected. Though it probably would have been more so yesterday.

He decides he'll tap back against the window, in the spot the ping pong ball is hitting, and see if that does anything.

It does! Instead of an orange ping pong ball hitting the window, a very angry orange stuffed winged bear appears and makes gestures that might just indicate he wants the window to be opened.