Thomas turned the corner that would take him near the bottom of the stairs, and abruptly stepped back. A crowd of people pushed past him, and though they stood shoulder to shoulder, none came within an arm's length of him. Even as they ignored him, he could feel the burning glares, hear their whispered disapproval. The bell rang as they passed, but Thomas stood quietly by rather than attempt to push his way through the tail end of the group. 

Once he started walking again, he found the halls otherwise empty as people headed off to lunch or class or home. These days more than ever he was consistently late to his own classes, preferring to walk the halls with as few people in them as possible. He moved with a relaxed stride now that nobody was staring, and actually took a bit of a look around.

What caught his eyes was the only person on the list he actually felt he had something in common with. Something in common besides Sierra, of course. "Loose" Liza Montgomery was shapely and attractive, but Thomas did not put much stock in the reputation she seemed to have for sleeping around. Of course, he didn't know her well enough to confirm or deny that, but he wondered if Sierra had. Deciding that he had little better to do, he decided to strike up a conversation to see what he might learn.

"So why are you on Sierra's list, Liza?" he asked, leaning against the lockers a few feet from her. "I don't even know why I am, let alone the others," he mused, expecting Liza to simply wander off into her own world. They didn't talk often and when they had Thomas was unsure if he held her interest at all.