[hr][right][sup]Monday — Morning — Athletic Field[/sup][/right]

[i]'Here's the deal then, boys and girls. And, you know...'[/i]

Kat winced up but no one was looking at him. Key-metal clashed and clicked nearby him, and his foot dodged, as if it was going to be hit. He looked back up. She was just getting to the point, wasn't she? He hadn't been listening. [sub](Too much effort. Too many things... [color=222222]things.[/color])[/sub] There was supposed to be a quiz, right?

The instructor left.

Kat tuned back in. There was supposed to be... a quiz...

The student council officer or sports team member or cheerleader or teacher's pet for whom Kat was waiting to pick up the keys never did so, and the chain of events went utterly unpunctuated. The instructor had left. A student had left. Students were leaving, and that was the end of it. Kat eventually came up from the puddle his head was floating in, and realised that that was all that was going to happen.

[hr]
[center][i]And the whole assembly responded in a loud voice: “Truly we will do as you say! But there are many people here, and it is the rainy season. We are not able to stay out in the open... Let our leaders represent the whole assembly."[/i]
[b]-Ezra 10:12[/b][/center]
[hr]

[color=fdc68a][i]WHAT[/i][/color]

Kat picked up the keys and pocketed them in his jacket as if they stood to lose from getting wet. The jacket wasn't waterproof. Warm, but not for much longer. He glared around for the friends he didn't have among the classmates that really weren't. All he got was Dulac, which was worse than nothing. Dulac, Keone- [color=fdc68a][i]why are you hanging on to her? she's HURTING you[/i][/color] -and Rebecca.

In six months he hadn't even realised she was in his class.
                                              [sup][color=222222]cared[/color][/sup]
Did she need to pass? Did Kat even need to pass? Kind of- not really. She needed to get out of the rain. [color=fdc68a]"...Uh, hey, Rebecca. You should probably..."[/color] [sub][color=222222]hide. disconnect[/color][/sub]

...Probably what? Go with the other students who didn't care? Stay here? With [i]Dulac?[/i]

[i][color=fdc68a]Fnnuuugg.[/color][/i]

Disappearing with the rest of the class was definitely the safer option, but Dulac would follow, and- Kat glanced at Keone- there was little he could do. Meaning, there was a lot he could do, none of which he was meant to. So, what? Leave her here? She wasn't moving, and they were all getting wet.

[color=fdc68a][i]She needs to get out of the rain.[/i][/color]

[i][color=fdc68a]She needs to get OUT of the[/color] [b][color=222222]RAIN[/color][/b][/i]

[color=fdc68a][i]"Hey, a-asshats!"[/i][/color] Kat yelled to the disappearing students, with about the confidence of a cardboard box. He might as well have scratched the keys directly on the back of his own cornea as used that word, but there was a way this game was played. [color=fdc68a]"I'm going to the garage to get ponchos. Is anyone else coming? I can't do it on my own,"[/color] he only half lied, pointing across the fence where the gas station lights flickered, [color=fdc68a]"and- my parents are gonna kill me if I fail anything."[/color]

It wasn't his best lie, and it probably wouldn't work, not with the class in this state. But if he could get the excuse to smuggle Rebecca out of the school, out of the [color=222222]rain,[/color] for even a few minutes, he was taking it. After that... well, this would keep them busy for a while. And keep him close. At least as close as [color=8882be]her[/color].