[center][h2][b][u][color=plum]Nicolas[/color][/u][/b][/h2]


The trick to extending one's lunch period far beyond the scheduled time was actually quite simple. Never eat where people know where to look for you. Nicolas never ate lunch in his office or in the staff room because that would be the first places people looked for him once the slotted period was over and students needed a sympathetic ear for their supposed problems and concerns. It even managed to serve as a little adventure for Nicolas, a game of sorts. Where was he going to eat next? Maybe one day he'd pop into an empty classroom - if he could find one - maybe he'd pop into a club room. The school had several places where a potentially unprofessional educator could slink away for an hour or so. And on top of everything else, such things gave Nicolas great insight to how things were truly going on in the school. Oh how the walls talked when people assumed hallways were devoid of life...and how thin these walls truly were.

And today the walls were absolutely talking and for once it wasn't just students discussing their crushes or recapping the television show's they watched the night previous - and Nicolas always did wonder if the overly strict sort of staff members, names better unsaid, would freak out if they knew students were 'wasting time' with television rather than mathematical study - but today provided a different sort of conversation. And from what Nicolas could hear...it involved not students but adults who were surely on the verge of [i]acting[/i] like them. 

Nicolas' vantage point was behind them, in the class room opposite where Peter had been before Eric decided to make a power play. [color=plum]"Son of a bitch, that's my move,"[/color] Nicolas muttered to himself when he watched Eric back Peter against the wall; except when Nicolas did it, the look on the lucky person's face wasn't panic or fear but rather exhilaration and longing. Even so, depending on the angle, the position Eric had Peter in looked enough like a secret meeting of passion that Nicolas was certain could cause a whole lot of assumptions if someone happened to walk by.

With a sigh as he slid the last of his rolled egg into his mouth, Nicolas slowly opened the door to the classroom he was squatting in. As much as he would've liked to see how this little encounter played out, he did technically have a job...and his position as guidance counselor extended to the staff as well - but the staff were usually much more level headed and full of common sense. 

[color=plum]"So, what's going on here? Meeting of the minds? I thought math and science were like best friends forever, both being incredibly boring and full of numbers and formulas everyone forgets."[/color] Nicolas announced his presence as he approached the two from the side, placing his palm on Eric's shoulder as Nicolas came around to face the two of them. Nico was grinning as he spoke, at least someone was enjoying themselves. 

[color=plum]"Anyway, maybe one of you could help me. See, I'm looking for a school but I seem to have gotten myself lost. I expect this kind of thing from the kids...and I know Petey here LOOKS like them, but he's not."[/color] Nicolas squeezed his grip tighter on Eric's shoulder, still grinning all the while. [color=plum]"Be the bigger man here, Eric, let the kid go."[/color] Nicolas' gaze turned to Pete now. [color=plum]"You keep saying things like that, egging someone on, and your face is going to be getting a bit more red. Trust me, Petey, I've been there. No need to kick a man when he's down."[/color]

Nicolas might have been grinning, but his words were anything but humorous. He might've been playful, but the situation demanded a serious response. [color=plum]"You two should take different routes during breaks. Oil and water just don't mix."[/color][/center]