Jared had worn what he always did in school; a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. California winter didn't impress him that much, but if it got cold enough, he might throw on a hoodie.

It was just as well Gabe Montgomery was enjoying the whole thing, because Jared wasn't liking that Livingston was taking out so much of this on him; it's not like Jared did anything to break them up. But it was what it was. Ms Andrews must have been taking notes from Gabe or something, who started to laugh when Ricki and Jared were put together and Livingston started to argue with the teacher.

Jared shot him a look of, [i]Gee, thanks bro.[/i] Gabe just returned it with a sly shit-eater grin that made it clear he regretted nothing.

Jared's response was to make like one hand was turning a crank while his middle finger went up, flipping the bird Jack in the Box style, in Gabe's direction. That got a look from Ms. Andrews and an "Is everything alright, Mr. Landry?" once she was done arguing with Livingston, an exchange he missed. Used to nun discipline, he straightened up in the seat and started at least pretending to pay attention. 

And while he was paying attention, he saw the look on Livingston's face out the corner of his eye, that wasn't good, but he wasn't some punk kid to be bullied around, even if he looked like someone's punching bag this morning. 

"Don't worry about Jared," Gabe told one of the other girls near him in a sotto voice, "Livingston isn't a hard hitter and Landry has a thick jaw. I mean, DID you see that hit?"

So when Ms. Andrews told all the pairs to get together, he grabbed his bag, a courier-style bag, brown hand-me down leather from one of his mom's ex-boyfriends (not that he'd ever admit it) that had a certain beaten charm to it, and slid into a chair opposite Ricki; however acquired, he wasn't sure he figured himself at his best with a big bruise on one side of his face and an ex-boyfriend ready to rip him to shreds except that people were watching, but he gave a go of it.

He wasn't entirely out of it, he'd been raised by a mother and knew what it meant when a girl suddenly started dressing up after an apparently rocky relationship ended, and he didn't make it look too obvious that he read the situation somewhat. So the next words, David Livingston be damned, in that nasal Boston accent of his, were, "Nice smokeshow there, Ms. Trenton." 

Unlike a chick, a guy didn't give compliments to get back at someone, or when they did, they made it a bit obvious and hamfisted. All the same, Livingston was looking like he'd shoot laser bolts from his eyes if he could, and Gabe was there stifling laughter again.

"So," Jared said, trying to ignore Gabe, "what scene do you want to do?" Seemed a good place to start, or at least move on from the fact that her ex was there making roid rage faces.