*if (hurtgirlwithjunior =true)
	*set juniorhostileforlife true
Class is already underway by the time I arrive at my seventh hour. Before I entered, I briefly looked again at my schedule to check what it was I was taking for my seventh and final hour class.

The words "American History" were clearly printed. My grasp of history in general was flimsy. I remember that a few of my old employers talked a bit about history, something about learning from the mistakes of the past to make ourselves a better mercenary force, but I was too low-level to think of anything prior to my own birth.

From what I could tell by the title, this class was meant to cover the history of America specifically rather than history as a concept. My 8 month long education from Daniel had already given me a general overview of history, but that mostly focused on the history of '1st world countries' as he had called them and didn't focus intensely on any one of them. The country that got the most focus was England, due to it apparently having been the most globally active and significant up until America began affecting the global stage somewhere around the 1800s, if I recall correctly.

From what I could remember, it wasn't bad compared to my personal experience, but I still noticed a lot of the same problems that afflicted life in the barracks played out on a much larger scale. No matter where or when they were, people just couldn't leave each other alone and mind their own business.

It did give some context into what my job had been before. I never really understood what my employers were [i]doing[/i] up until those classes introduced me to the actual purposes behind wars and the reasons people got so involved in them. Before that, I just hadn't ever thought about it.
*page_break Next
The hallways were empty once I reached the doorway, and I took a second to look through the window in the door. My vision inside was limited, but I could see that classes had already begun, as expected. The teacher's back was to me as she spoke to them, speaking while walking around. As far as I could tell there wasn't a podium or any designated standing spot from which she taught. Instead, she appeared very active while speaking.

There was another adult in the room, a man with a rough five o'clock shadow. He was smiling from where I could see, sitting off to the side.

In the desks were the students. Nothing remarkable. 
*if (met_junior =true)
	The only person of note was Junior, sitting in the back with a bored expression on his face. To his right, an empty desk that I can only assume was reserved for me.

Having conducted all the recon I could possibly do from my placement here, I turned the doorknob and made my way inside.
*page_break Next
Unfortunately, there's no way to get inside without attracting the attention of everyone in the room. The teacher pauses in her speech and looks at me.

"Ah, you must be our missing student! ${firstname}, right?" I nod, and she points me over to 
*if (met_junior =true)
	the empty desk to the right of Junior.
*if (met_junior =false)
	an empty desk in the back of the classroom. Not unlike the majority of desks I've been assigned in every other class.

Without anything else to say, I quietly make my way over there, keeping my eyes active in scanning the students that I am forced to walk by. On their desks, pencils and pens and a few notebooks. Crude improvised weapons that require effort in order to use. In most situations, it would be easier to just use one's hands, unless one were highly superior to their opponent in terms of hand-eye coordination and reflexes.

*if (met_junior =false)
	After sitting down, I briefly scan to see how much of the room I can see from this position. The room is pleasantly simple in terms of architecture and there is very little that is hidden behind obstructions.

	One odd point, however, comes not from the room but from my neighbor. As my scan goes over him, I notice the boy (who looks about a few years older than me) casting a sideways glance in my direction.

	The woman up front introduces herself as Mrs. McGain, and the male sitting to the side as a Student Teacher named Mr. Maehal. That's background noise to me, though. I'm more focused on the boy to my side. A male wearing what I can only describe as road leathers. It fits the image: a thick leather jacket, despite the weather only barely cooled down from the hot summer temperatures, as well as pants to match. I understand that road leathers offer some protection, however as far as my understanding goes it is more designed for protection in the incident of motorcycle accidents, hence the name. 
	
	If I had to guess, his choice of attire is less about personal protection, and more about imposing the appearance of dominance. His choice of self-presentation, added to the sharp look in his eye, indicate to me that he chooses to present himself as someone from a powerful position.

	Whether this is true or not remains to be seen.
	*page_break Next
	*set junior_name "Junior Beach"
	*set juniorrelationship "Impressed"
	"Don't think I've ever seen you around," he finally says, ignoring the teacher who is continuing to talk about matters that I've since lost interest in as well. "Folks around here call me Junior Beach. You?"

	"${fullname}," I reply. "However I would rather not be called anything."

	"Shy then," he says with a grin. "Lucky I'm not much of a nosy guy in that case."

	There's nothing for me to say in response to that, so I instead choose to say nothing at all and turn my attention to the teacher. Nothing of particular importance is being said right now, which I have noticed is the pattern among classes so far, most likely due to this being the first day of school and significantly shorter than the days in the future will be, as Daniel informed me. 

	*if (incidents >0)
		"You know, funny thing, I think I might have actually heard about you," I hear Junior speak to me again and turn my attention over. "Right, you're the new kid, aren't you? I mean, [i]the[/i] new kid. The one who showed up has spent the entire day making everyone stir. Folks are saying you're something of a psychopath."
	*if (incidents =0)
		"You know, you got a funny look to you," I hear Junior speak to me again and turn my attention over. "You a fighter or something? You look real twitchy, like you're expecting anyone and everyone to jump out at you. You look kind of like a psychopath."

	"I am just trying to blend in."

	"No offense but you kind of suck at it," he says, still smiling. "Besides, how many really important and successful people have you heard of that got there by blending in? The way I see it, you have certain talents that a few people might like to get their hands on."

	Junior, you have no idea how right you are.
	*page_break Next
	"I suppose there's one big question that I should ask first," he says soon after. "Have you been taken by Miss Stein yet?"

	*if (hiredlucy =true)
		"If you are asking whether or not she has hired me, then the answer is yes."

		Junior sighs at this, "Damn it, Stein, you just can't leave anything for the rest of us little fish, can you?" He sighs again, "Eh, oh well, was a bit soon to talk about offering you a place in a gang, anyway. Even if we did know each other better it wouldn't matter. No way I could beat her price, and even if I could she'd probably destroy me for it."

		"The gang?"

		"My gang," he says with a bit of pride. "Well, such as it is. We're no Chicago gang, that's for sure, but people around here still know who we are. Still, it'd of been nice if we could get some talent that could really handle themselves."

		"I apologize."

		"Don't, it's cool," he assures me. 
		*goto furtherdown
	*if (hiredlucy =false)
		"If you are asking whether or not she has hired me, then the answer is no." I inform him, "Does this mean you are offering me a job?"

		"Eh...not right now," he says after a second, "Don't take this the wrong way but I'm not exactly in the process of inviting people into a gang seconds after meeting them."

		"The gang?"

		"My gang," he says with a bit of pride. "Well, such as it is. We're no Chicago gang, that's for sure, but people around here still know who we are. Couple years running and we already rule the suburbs, so I say we can afford to be a bit picky when scouting new material."

		"Understandable."

		"Doesn't mean I'm not interested in getting to know you better," he says.
		*goto furtherdown

	*label furtherdown
	"To be honest, I wouldn't mind seeing more of you anyway. You have this look about you that makes me like you. You seem like a cut above the rest around here, that's for certain. If you feel like some time later, you can come by my people's little get-away."

	An invitation to the headquarters of one of the local factions. Not an offer that can be safely dismissed without doing some research into the local power structures. At the very least, he doesn't appear to be a threat to my current employer. However, even friendship comes with strings attached. Allying with him would mean placing myself at odds against his foes, who may or may not be stronger than him, I would have to learn who they are before deciding.

	However, denying from the outset is just as dangerous, as I risk making an enemy of Junior and his gang. If he [i]is[/i] the highest power, then becoming enemies with him is an outcome that should be avoided at all costs.

	*choice
		#Accept friendship
			*set juniorfriend true
			*set juniorrelationship "Friendly"
			"I would be happy to visit your gang hideout sometime," I reply.

			Junior nods approvingly, though with no indication that he didn't completely expect my response. He certainly appears to have a high opinion of himself. Whether or not it is inflated will have to be decided on a later day. "Nice to hear! I'll be sure to-"
			*goto continue
		#Turn away friendship
			*set juniorrelationship "Rival"
			"That is not an arrangement that would interest me."

			Junior frowns, obviously not expecting this response. For some reason, it appears he expected my approval to be guaranteed. For one reason or another, he certainly appears to have a high opinion of himself. "Well, can't be helped, I guess-"
			*goto continue
	
	*label continue

	[i]"Ahem."[/i]
	*page_break Next
	While Junior's in the middle of a sentence, our conversation is interrupted by someone deliberately clearing their throat. A single gaze out of my peripheral vision reveals the person in question to be Mrs. McGain, looking at the two of us with a hint of annoyance on her face. "Do you two have something to add that the rest of the class would like to hear?"

	It appears that through our dialog we upset the instructor. I try to remember what exactly it was that she was talking about, but the subject matter escapes me at the moment. She continues to stand and watch us, not continuing her statement and is clearly expecting a response. I'm not sure what, if anything, I am expected to say at this moment in time. This doesn't change much, however, and Junior speaks up shortly after the instructor has finished her questioning.

	"I guess I could add that this day is completely pointless and a waste of all our time," he says with a demeaning voice toward her. "Not like we're actually going to do anything important on the first day."

	"Oh is that so?" The teacher asks with a tone to match his challenging one. "Since you sound so sure I'm certain you have valid reason for why you feel this way. Could you please explain your philosophy so we as a class might study its merits?"

	"Not like I can say anything we don't all know. We're only here for, like, 20 minutes and the entire time is spent saying hi to one another. There's no point for this day at all, it can be completely missed and nobody would have lost anything of value!"

	"Perhaps you'd prefer to go up and make your case to the principal, and see if he agrees with your statement?"

	Junior scoffs and shakes his head, "No point. I'm done here." He stands up and marches out of the room, Mrs. McGain watching him the entire way. She doesn't say anything about it, instead nodding to her student teacher who pulls out a notepad and begins writing in it. However he feels right now, Junior clearly hasn't won the long-term engagement.
	*page_break Next
	After that incident, Mrs. McGain continues with what she was talking about before with barely any attention paid to the confrontation that just occurred. It appears as though she's put the matter entirely out of her mind to be resolved later when she isn't preoccupied.

	Given the casualness with which Junior attacked the instructor, it seems unlikely that this was a one-time occurrence. More likely, this is a pattern in his association with those of authority. It's clear that he has no intention of 'blending in' or trying to act in the manner of an upstanding and moral citizen.

	Knowing this...
	*fake_choice
		#My opinion of him and our relationship remains the same
		#I may want to change how we interact in the future...
	Approximately 12 minutes after Mrs. McGain continued her introduction speech, the bell rings overhead to dismiss us from the class and, it being the final hour, the school itself.

	"It seems our time is up," Mrs. McGain exclaims. "You may all leave now! Please enjoy the rest of your day, class, and we will all see each other tomorrow!"
	*page_break Going home...
	*goto_scene 1-12Outside-1

*if (met_junior =true)
	*if (hurtgirlwithjunior =true)
		It's pretty clear immediately upon sitting down that Junior is not happy to see me. He makes no effort to conceal his sideways glare as I settle into my desk, laying my bright green backpack to the side and laying out a pen in a position that would make it easy to get ahold of, crooked slightly to match the angle of my hand.

		The woman up front introduces herself as Mrs. McGain, and the male sitting to the side as a Student Teacher named Mr. Maehal. That's background noise to me, though. I'm more concentrated on Junior at this point.
		*choice
			#I want us to be friends and would like him to forgive me
				*set combat -1
				*set firearms -1
				I'm not entirely certain about what it is that he is upset at me for, but I have a feeling it had something to do with my actions during our escape attempt, as that was when his attitude toward me worsened considerably.

				"Junior, I would like to-"

				"Save it," he interrupts me while I am still talking, in violation of the typical rules of common courtesy that I was instructed to operate under. "We ain't got anything to talk about, not after that stunt you pulled with that poor girl. I can't even tell if you know that what you did was wrong, and the uncertainty alone is scary. I thought you were cool at first, but it's clear to me that you're just too fucked in the head. Part of me feels bad for you, but none of me wants anything to do with you, so just stay away from me and mine. From here on out, you and me are done."

				*goto con
			#I want to make sure he doesn't attempt to move against me
				He doesn't look like he's about to attempt an attack here and now, especially with this many witnesses, but depending on other people being rational and making smart choices is a way to end up stabbed when confronted by someone who is very irrational.

				You could say I have experience dealing with people of irrational mind. When a mother is holding her newly-dead child in her arms, then how much firepower is aimed her way tends to have no impact on her decision making process. When a man has spent the past 12 hours shooting and being shot at, he'll risk his life for just a bottle of alcohol or a woman to warm his bed. When someone steals a family's prized goat, they'll hold onto that blood fued until the day they die, and pass it on for a dozen generations after. In general, humans do strange and violent things when presented with stressful situations.

				I keep myself ready, half watching him while I'm half listening to the Mrs. McGain drone on. I'm not about to start a fight, but if one does start, I'll make sure the odds are stacked in my favor. No matter how skilled one is, there is always a little more they can do to tip the scales toward their own survival.

				"You know, when we started off," he finally makes a move after a few minutes of stalemate, "I thought you were pretty cool. But it's clear to me that you're just too fucked in the head. Part of me feels bad for you, but none of me wants anything to do with you, so just stay away from me and mine. From here on out, you and me are done."

				*goto con
		*label con
		[i]"Ahem."[/i]
		*page_break Next
		While Junior's in the middle of a sentence, our conversation is interrupted by someone deliberately clearing their throat. A single gaze out of my peripheral vision reveals the person in question to be Mrs. McGain, looking at the two of us with a hint of annoyance on her face. "Do you two have something to add that the rest of the class would like to hear?"

		It appears that through our dialog we upset the instructor. I try to remember what exactly it was that she was talking about, but the subject matter escapes me at the moment. She continues to stand and watch us, not continuing her statement and is clearly expecting a response. I'm not sure what, if anything, I am expected to say at this moment in time. This doesn't change much, however, and Junior speaks up shortly after the instructor has finished her questioning.

		"I guess I could add that this day is completely pointless and a waste of all our time," he says with a demeaning voice toward her. "Not like we're actually going to do anything important on the first day."

		"Oh is that so?" The teacher asks with a tone to match his challenging one. "Since you sound so sure I'm certain you have valid reason for why you feel this way. Could you please explain your philosophy so we as a class might study its merits?"

		"Not like I can say anything we don't all know. We're only here for, like, 20 minutes and the entire time is spent saying hi to one another. There's no point for this day at all, it can be completely missed and nobody would have lost anything of value!"

		"Perhaps you'd prefer to go up and make your case to the principal, and see if he agrees with your statement?"

		Junior scoffs and shakes his head, "No point. I'm done here." He stands up and marches out of the room, Mrs. McGain watching him the entire way. She doesn't say anything about it, instead nodding to her student teacher who pulls out a notepad and begins writing in it. However he feels right now, Junior clearly hasn't won the long-term engagement.
		*page_break Next
		After that incident, Mrs. McGain continues with what she was talking about before with barely any attention paid to the confrontation that just occurred. It appears as though she's put the matter entirely out of her mind to be resolved later when she isn't preoccupied.

		The rest of the class carries on without me learning much about what we'll be learning about. Junior was correct on that point. One bit of useful information to take away is that whatever happens next, the relationship between Junior and myself will probably never be properly repaired.

		Unfortunate, but survivable.
		*page_break On the way out...
		*goto_scene 1-12Intercepted-1
	*if (female =true)
		*if (attemptescape =true)
			*set juniorrelationship "Friendly"
			After sitting down, I briefly scan to see how much of the room I can see from this position. The room is pleasantly simple in terms of architecture and there is very little that is hidden behind obstructions.

			"Hey, how're you doing?" I hear Junior address me from my side and glance at him, somewhat annoyed at him for interrupting my evaluation though I'm also feeling a little guilty for messing up the mission to leave the building.

			"I'm okay," Daniel told me about this situation. The question 'how are you doing?' and its variations have a series of valid responses for one to choose from. Of all of those, 'okay' invites the least amount of inquiry from the individual requesting information, except in the rare situation that a person actually does want to know how the person they are asking is feeling, however those instances are few and far between.

			"Hey look," he continues, "I know all that before didn't go as any of us planned, but you don't have to worry about it. Having a sneaky way out was more for convenience than anything. You know, there's still nothing they can do if we decide to just up and walk right out of here. Sure they can call our parents, but it's not like they can arrest us, right?"

			Unfortunately, while that may be true for him, a strong feeling in my gut makes me feel that the results would be very different if I attempted to do something similar.

			[i]"Ahem."[/i]
			*page_break Next
			While Junior's in the middle of a sentence, our conversation is interrupted by someone deliberately clearing their throat. A single gaze out of my peripheral vision reveals the person in question to be Mrs. McGain, looking at the two of us with a hint of annoyance on her face. "Do you two have something to add that the rest of the class would like to hear?"

			It appears that through our dialog we upset the instructor. I try to remember what exactly it was that she was talking about, but the subject matter escapes me at the moment. She continues to stand and watch us, not continuing her statement and is clearly expecting a response. I'm not sure what, if anything, I am expected to say at this moment in time. This doesn't change much, however, and Junior speaks up shortly after the instructor has finished her questioning.

			"I guess I could add that this day is completely pointless and a waste of all our time," he says with a demeaning voice toward her. "Not like we're actually going to do anything important on the first day."

			"Oh is that so?" The teacher asks with a tone to match his challenging one. "Since you sound so sure I'm certain you have valid reason for why you feel this way. Could you please explain your philosophy so we as a class might study its merits?"

			"Not like I can say anything we don't all know. We're only here for, like, 20 minutes and the entire time is spent saying hi to one another. There's no point for this day at all, it can be completely missed and nobody would have lost anything of value!"

			"Perhaps you'd prefer to go up and make your case to the principal, and see if he agrees with your statement?"

			Junior scoffs and shakes his head, "No point. I'm done here." He stands up and marches out of the room, Mrs. McGain watching him the entire way. She doesn't say anything about it, instead nodding to her student teacher who pulls out a notepad and begins writing in it. However he feels right now, Junior clearly hasn't won the long-term engagement.
			*page_break Next
			After that incident, Mrs. McGain continues with what she was talking about before with barely any attention paid to the confrontation that just occurred. It appears as though she's put the matter entirely out of her mind to be resolved later when she isn't preoccupied.

			The rest of the class carries on without me learning much about what we'll be learning about. Junior was correct on that point. One bit of useful information to take away is that while I may not have as much of Junior's respect as I would have preferred, I can still rely on his friendship.

			Not ideal, but acceptable for now.
			*page_break On the way out...
			*goto_scene 1-12Intercepted-1
		*if (attemptescape =false)
			*set juniorrelationship "Friendly"
			After sitting down, I briefly scan to see how much of the room I can see from this position. The room is pleasantly simple in terms of architecture and there is very little that is hidden behind obstructions.

			"Hey, how're you doing?" I hear Junior address me from my side and glace at him, somewhat annoyed at him for interrupting my evaluation.

			"I'm okay," Daniel told me about this situation. The question 'how are you doing?' and its variations have a series of valid responses for one to choose from. Of all of those, 'okay' invites the least amount of inquiry from the individual requesting information, except in the rare situation that a person actually does want to know how the person they are asking is feeling, however those instances are few and far between. "You are still here."

			"Yeah, the whole escape thing didn't work out," he says with a shrug. "Found the old place, but couldn't find an opening to get in and out of here. Don't have to worry about it, though. Having a sneaky way out was more for convenience than anything. You know, there's still nothing they can do if we decide to just up and walk right out of here. Sure they can call our parents, but it's not like they can arrest us, right?"

			Unfortunately, while that may be true for him, a strong feeling in my gut makes me feel that the results would be very different if I attempted to do something similar.

			"So, finding high school all you expected it to be?" He says this with a grin that implies a double meaning to his words, perhaps a dose of sarcasm. Unfortunately, seeing as how I didn't have many expectations for American high school, I can't really properly reply to this. Leaving me with a dilemma as to how I should respond. I suspect he's trying to tell me some kind of joke, so replying with a serious answer would create suspicion. However, even if I reply in an equally non-serious manner, if the words used are incorrect, that could prove just as problematic.

			[i]"Ahem."[/i]

			Ultimately, the decision is made for me.
			*page_break Next
			While Junior's in the middle of a sentence, our conversation is interrupted by someone deliberately clearing their throat. A single gaze out of my peripheral vision reveals the person in question to be Mrs. McGain, looking at the two of us with a hint of annoyance on her face. "Do you two have something to add that the rest of the class would like to hear?"

			It appears that through our dialog we upset the instructor. I try to remember what exactly it was that she was talking about, but the subject matter escapes me at the moment. She continues to stand and watch us, not continuing her statement and is clearly expecting a response. I'm not sure what, if anything, I am expected to say at this moment in time. This doesn't change much, however, and Junior speaks up shortly after the instructor has finished her questioning.

			"I guess I could add that this day is completely pointless and a waste of all our time," he says with a demeaning voice toward her. "Not like we're actually going to do anything important on the first day."

			"Oh is that so?" The teacher asks with a tone to match his challenging one. "Since you sound so sure I'm certain you have valid reason for why you feel this way. Could you please explain your philosophy so we as a class might study its merits?"

			"Not like I can say anything we don't all know. We're only here for, like, 20 minutes and the entire time is spent saying hi to one another. There's no point for this day at all, it can be completely missed and nobody would have lost anything of value!"

			"Perhaps you'd prefer to go up and make your case to the principal, and see if he agrees with your statement?"

			Junior scoffs and shakes his head, "No point. I'm done here." He stands up and marches out of the room, Mrs. McGain watching him the entire way. She doesn't say anything about it, instead nodding to her student teacher who pulls out a notepad and begins writing in it. However he feels right now, Junior clearly hasn't won the long-term engagement.
			*page_break Next
			After that incident, Mrs. McGain continues with what she was talking about before with barely any attention paid to the confrontation that just occurred. It appears as though she's put the matter entirely out of her mind to be resolved later when she isn't preoccupied.

			Given the casualness with which Junior attacked the instructor, it seems unlikely that this was a one-time occurrence. More likely, this is a pattern in his association with those of authority. It's clear that he has no intention of 'blending in' or trying to act in the manner of an upstanding and moral citizen.

			Knowing this...
			*fake_choice
				#My opinion of him and our relationship remains the same
				#I may want to change how we interact in the future...
			Approximately 12 minutes after Mrs. McGain continued her introduction speech, the bell rings overhead to dismiss us from the class and, it being the final hour, the school itself.

			"It seems our time is up," Mrs. McGain exclaims. "You may all leave now! Please enjoy the rest of your day, class, and we will all see each other tomorrow!"
			*page_break Going home...
			*goto_scene 1-12Outside-1
	*if (male =true)
		*if (hurtgirlwithjunior =true)
			It's pretty clear immediately upon sitting down that Junior is not happy to see me. He makes no effort to conceal his sideways glare as I settle into my desk, laying my bright green backpack to the side and laying out a pen in a position that would make it easy to get ahold of, crooked slightly to match the angle of my hand.

			The woman up front introduces herself as Mrs. McGain, and the male sitting to the side as a Student Teacher named Mr. Maehal. That's background noise to me, though. I'm more concentrated on Junior at this point.
			*choice
				#I want us to be friends and would like him to forgive me
					I'm not entirely certain about what it is that he is upset at me for, but I have a feeling it had something to do with my actions during our escape attempt, as that was when his attitude toward me worsened considerably.

					"Junior, I would like to-"

					"Save it," he interrupts me while I am still talking, in violation of the typical rules of common courtesy that I was instructed to operate under. "We ain't got anything to talk about, not after that stunt you pulled with that poor girl. I can't even tell if you know that what you did was wrong, and the uncertainty alone is scary. I thought you were cool at first, but it's clear to me that you're just too fucked in the head. Part of me feels bad for you, but none of me wants anything to do with you, so just stay away from me and mine. From here on out, you and me are done."

					*goto concon
				#I want to make sure he doesn't attempt to move against me
					He doesn't look like he's about to attempt an attack here and now, especially with this many witnesses, but depending on other people being rational and making smart choices is a way to end up stabbed when confronted by someone who is very irrational.

					You could say I have experience dealing with people of irrational mind. When a mother is holding her newly-dead child in her arms, then how much firepower is aimed her way tends to have no impact on her decision making process. When a man has spent the past 12 hours shooting and being shot at, he'll risk his life for just a bottle of alcohol or a woman to warm his bed. When someone steals a family's prized goat, they'll hold onto that blood fued until the day they die, and pass it on for a dozen generations after. In general, humans do strange and violent things when presented with stressful situations.

					I keep myself ready, half watching him while I'm half listening to the Mrs. McGain drone on. I'm not about to start a fight, but if one does start, I'll make sure the odds are stacked in my favor. No matter how skilled one is, there is always a little more they can do to tip the scales toward their own survival.

					"You know, when we started off," he finally makes a move after a few minutes of stalemate, "I thought you were pretty cool. But it's clear to me that you're just too fucked in the head. Part of me feels bad for you, but none of me wants anything to do with you, so just stay away from me and mine. From here on out, you and me are done."

					*goto concon
			*label concon
			[i]"Ahem."[/i]
			*page_break Next
			While Junior's in the middle of a sentence, our conversation is interrupted by someone deliberately clearing their throat. A single gaze out of my peripheral vision reveals the person in question to be Mrs. McGain, looking at the two of us with a hint of annoyance on her face. "Do you two have something to add that the rest of the class would like to hear?"

			It appears that through our dialog we upset the instructor. I try to remember what exactly it was that she was talking about, but the subject matter escapes me at the moment. She continues to stand and watch us, not continuing her statement and is clearly expecting a response. I'm not sure what, if anything, I am expected to say at this moment in time. This doesn't change much, however, and Junior speaks up shortly after the instructor has finished her questioning.

			"I guess I could add that this day is completely pointless and a waste of all our time," he says with a demeaning voice toward her. "Not like we're actually going to do anything important on the first day."

			"Oh is that so?" The teacher asks with a tone to match his challenging one. "Since you sound so sure I'm certain you have valid reason for why you feel this way. Could you please explain your philosophy so we as a class might study its merits?"

			"Not like I can say anything we don't all know. We're only here for, like, 20 minutes and the entire time is spent saying hi to one another. There's no point for this day at all, it can be completely missed and nobody would have lost anything of value!"

			"Perhaps you'd prefer to go up and make your case to the principal, and see if he agrees with your statement?"

			Junior scoffs and shakes his head, "No point. I'm done here." He stands up and marches out of the room, Mrs. McGain watching him the entire way. She doesn't say anything about it, instead nodding to her student teacher who pulls out a notepad and begins writing in it. However he feels right now, Junior clearly hasn't won the long-term engagement.
			*page_break Next
			After that incident, Mrs. McGain continues with what she was talking about before with barely any attention paid to the confrontation that just occurred. It appears as though she's put the matter entirely out of her mind to be resolved later when she isn't preoccupied.

			The rest of the class carries on without me learning much about what we'll be learning about. Junior was correct on that point. One bit of useful information to take away is that whatever happens next, the relationship between Junior and myself will probably never be properly repaired.

			Unfortunate, but survivable.
			*page_break On the way out...
			*goto_scene 1-12Intercepted-1
			*if (attemptescape =true)
				After sitting down, I briefly scan to see how much of the room I can see from this position. The room is pleasantly simple in terms of architecture and there is very little that is hidden behind obstructions.

			"Hey, how're you doing?" I hear Junior address me from my side and glace at him, somewhat annoyed at him for interrupting my evaluation though I'm also feeling a little guilty for messing up the mission to leave the building.

			"I'm okay," Daniel told me about this situation. The question 'how are you doing?' and its variations have a series of valid responses for one to choose from. Of all of those, 'okay' invites the least amount of inquiry from the individual requesting information, except in the rare situation that a person actually does want to know how the person they are asking is feeling, however those instances are few and far between.

			"Hey look," he continues, "I know all that before didn't go as any of us planned, but you don't have to worry about it. Having a sneaky way out was more for convenience than anything. You know, there's still nothing they can do if we decide to just up and walk right out of here. Sure they can call our parents, but it's not like they can arrest us, right?"

			Unfortunately, while that may be true for him, a strong feeling in my gut makes me feel that the results would be very different if I attempted to do something similar.

			[i]"Ahem."[/i]
			*page_break Next
			While Junior's in the middle of a sentence, our conversation is interrupted by someone deliberately clearing their throat. A single gaze out of my peripheral vision reveals the person in question to be Mrs. McGain, looking at the two of us with a hint of annoyance on her face. "Do you two have something to add that the rest of the class would like to hear?"

			It appears that through our dialog we upset the instructor. I try to remember what exactly it was that she was talking about, but the subject matter escapes me at the moment. She continues to stand and watch us, not continuing her statement and is clearly expecting a response. I'm not sure what, if anything, I am expected to say at this moment in time. This doesn't change much, however, and Junior speaks up shortly after the instructor has finished her questioning.

			"I guess I could add that this day is completely pointless and a waste of all our time," he says with a demeaning voice toward her. "Not like we're actually going to do anything important on the first day."

			"Oh is that so?" The teacher asks with a tone to match his challenging one. "Since you sound so sure I'm certain you have valid reason for why you feel this way. Could you please explain your philosophy so we as a class might study its merits?"

			"Not like I can say anything we don't all know. We're only here for, like, 20 minutes and the entire time is spent saying hi to one another. There's no point for this day at all, it can be completely missed and nobody would have lost anything of value!"

			"Perhaps you'd prefer to go up and make your case to the principal, and see if he agrees with your statement?"

			Junior scoffs and shakes his head, "No point. I'm done here." He stands up and marches out of the room, Mrs. McGain watching him the entire way. She doesn't say anything about it, instead nodding to her student teacher who pulls out a notepad and begins writing in it. However he feels right now, Junior clearly hasn't won the long-term engagement.
			*page_break Next
			After that incident, Mrs. McGain continues with what she was talking about before with barely any attention paid to the confrontation that just occurred. It appears as though she's put the matter entirely out of her mind to be resolved later when she isn't preoccupied.

			The rest of the class carries on without me learning much about what we'll be learning about. Junior was correct on that point. One bit of useful information to take away is that while I may not have as much of Junior's respect as I would have preferred, I can still rely on his friendship.

			Not ideal, but acceptable for now.
			*page_break On the way out...
			*goto_scene 1-12Intercepted-1
			*if (juniorfriend =true)
				After sitting down, I briefly scan to see how much of the room I can see from this position. The room is pleasantly simple in terms of architecture and there is very little that is hidden behind obstructions.

				"Hey man, how've you been?" Junior asks in the middle of my evaluation.

				"I'm okay," Daniel told me about this situation. The question 'how are you doing?' and its variations have a series of valid responses for one to choose from. Of all of those, 'okay' invites the least amount of inquiry from the individual requesting information, except in the rare situation that a person actually does want to know how the person they are asking is feeling, however those instances are few and far between. "You are still here."

				"Yeah, the whole escape thing didn't work out," he says with a shrug. "Found the old place, but couldn't find an opening to get in and out of here. Don't have to worry about it, though. Having a sneaky way out was more for convenience than anything. You know, there's still nothing they can do if we decide to just up and walk right out of here. Sure they can call our parents, but it's not like they can arrest us, right?"

				Unfortunately, while that may be true for him, a strong feeling in my gut makes me feel that the results would be very different if I attempted to do something similar.

				"So, finding high school all you expected it to be?" He says this with a grin that implies a double meaning to his words, perhaps a dose of sarcasm. Unfortunately, seeing as how I didn't have many expectations for American high school, I can't really properly reply to this. Leaving me with a dilemma as to how I should respond. I suspect he's trying to tell me some kind of joke, so replying with a serious answer would create suspicion. However, even if I reply in an equally non-serious manner, if the words used are incorrect, that could prove just as problematic.

				[i]"Ahem."[/i]

				Ultimately, the decision is made for me.
				*page_break Next
				While Junior's in the middle of a sentence, our conversation is interrupted by someone deliberately clearing their throat. A single gaze out of my peripheral vision reveals the person in question to be Mrs. McGain, looking at the two of us with a hint of annoyance on her face. "Do you two have something to add that the rest of the class would like to hear?"

				It appears that through our dialog we upset the instructor. I try to remember what exactly it was that she was talking about, but the subject matter escapes me at the moment. She continues to stand and watch us, not continuing her statement and is clearly expecting a response. I'm not sure what, if anything, I am expected to say at this moment in time. This doesn't change much, however, and Junior speaks up shortly after the instructor has finished her questioning.

				"I guess I could add that this day is completely pointless and a waste of all our time," he says with a demeaning voice toward her. "Not like we're actually going to do anything important on the first day."

				"Oh is that so?" The teacher asks with a tone to match his challenging one. "Since you sound so sure I'm certain you have valid reason for why you feel this way. Could you please explain your philosophy so we as a class might study its merits?"

				"Not like I can say anything we don't all know. We're only here for, like, 20 minutes and the entire time is spent saying hi to one another. There's no point for this day at all, it can be completely missed and nobody would have lost anything of value!"

				"Perhaps you'd prefer to go up and make your case to the principal, and see if he agrees with your statement?"

				Junior scoffs and shakes his head, "No point. I'm done here." He stands up and marches out of the room, Mrs. McGain watching him the entire way. She doesn't say anything about it, instead nodding to her student teacher who pulls out a notepad and begins writing in it. However he feels right now, Junior clearly hasn't won the long-term engagement.
				*page_break Next
				After that incident, Mrs. McGain continues with what she was talking about before with barely any attention paid to the confrontation that just occurred. It appears as though she's put the matter entirely out of her mind to be resolved later when she isn't preoccupied.

				Given the casualness with which Junior attacked the instructor, it seems unlikely that this was a one-time occurrence. More likely, this is a pattern in his association with those of authority. It's clear that he has no intention of 'blending in' or trying to act in the manner of an upstanding and moral citizen.

				Knowing this...
				*fake_choice
					#My opinion of him and our relationship remains the same
					#I may want to change how we interact in the future...
				Approximately 12 minutes after Mrs. McGain continued her introduction speech, the bell rings overhead to dismiss us from the class and, it being the final hour, the school itself.

				"It seems our time is up," Mrs. McGain exclaims. "You may all leave now! Please enjoy the rest of your day, class, and we will all see each other tomorrow!"
				*page_break Going home...
				*goto_scene 1-12Outside-1
		*if (juniorhostile =true)
			After sitting down, I briefly scan to see how much of the room I can see from this position. The room is pleasantly simple in terms of architecture and there is very little that is hidden behind obstructions.

			It's pretty clear immediately upon sitting down that Junior is not happy to see me. He makes no effort to conceal his sideways glare as I settle into my desk, laying my bright green backpack to the side and laying out a pen in a position that would make it easy to get ahold of, crooked slightly to match the angle of my hand.

			The woman up front introduces herself as Mrs. McGain, and the male sitting to the side as a Student Teacher named Mr. Maehal. That's background noise to me, though. I'm more concentrated on Junior at this point.
			*choice
				#I want us to be friends and would like him to forgive me
					*set combat -1
					*set firearms -1
					I'm not entirely certain about what it is that he is upset at me for, but I'd rather not have enemies during my stay at this school. I would be grateful for a chance to reduce the number of people upset with me by at least one.

					"Junior, I would like to end hostilities between us." I explain to him in as diplomatic a tone as I possibly can, so as to avoid the closing down of communications.

					

					*goto blubblub
				#I want to make sure he doesn't attempt to move against me
					*set juniorhostileforlife true
					He doesn't look like he's about to attempt an attack here and now, especially with this many witnesses, but depending on other people being rational and making smart choices is a way to end up stabbed when confronted by someone who is very irrational.

					You could say I have experience dealing with people of irrational mind. When a mother is holding her newly-dead child in her arms, then how much firepower is aimed her way tends to have no impact on her decision making process. When a man has spent the past 12 hours shooting and being shot at, he'll risk his life for just a bottle of alcohol or a woman to warm his bed. When someone steals a family's prized goat, they'll hold onto that blood fued until the day they die, and pass it on for a dozen generations after. In general, humans do strange and violent things when presented with stressful situations.

					I keep myself ready, half watching him while I'm half listening to the Mrs. McGain drone on. I'm not about to start a fight, but if one does start, I'll make sure the odds are stacked in my favor. No matter how skilled one is, there is always a little more they can do to tip the scales toward their own survival.

					"You really are just a freak, aren't you?" He finally makes a move after a few minutes of stalemate, "Maybe you're just too fucked in the head. Part of me feels bad for you, but whatever. Just stay away from me and mine."

					*goto blubblub
			*label blubblub
			[i]"Ahem."[/i]
			*page_break Next
			While Junior's in the middle of a sentence, our conversation is interrupted by someone deliberately clearing their throat. A single gaze out of my peripheral vision reveals the person in question to be Mrs. McGain, looking at the two of us with a hint of annoyance on her face. "Do you two have something to add that the rest of the class would like to hear?"

			It appears that through our dialog we upset the instructor. I try to remember what exactly it was that she was talking about, but the subject matter escapes me at the moment. She continues to stand and watch us, not continuing her statement and is clearly expecting a response. I'm not sure what, if anything, I am expected to say at this moment in time. This doesn't change much, however, and Junior speaks up shortly after the instructor has finished her questioning.

			"I guess I could add that this day is completely pointless and a waste of all our time," he says with a demeaning voice toward her. "Not like we're actually going to do anything important on the first day."

			"Oh is that so?" The teacher asks with a tone to match his challenging one. "Since you sound so sure I'm certain you have valid reason for why you feel this way. Could you please explain your philosophy so we as a class might study its merits?"

			"Not like I can say anything we don't all know. We're only here for, like, 20 minutes and the entire time is spent saying hi to one another. There's no point for this day at all, it can be completely missed and nobody would have lost anything of value!"

			"Perhaps you'd prefer to go up and make your case to the principal, and see if he agrees with your statement?"

			Junior scoffs and shakes his head, "No point. I'm done here." He stands up and marches out of the room, Mrs. McGain watching him the entire way. She doesn't say anything about it, instead nodding to her student teacher who pulls out a notepad and begins writing in it. However he feels right now, Junior clearly hasn't won the long-term engagement.
			*page_break Next
			After that incident, Mrs. McGain continues with what she was talking about before with barely any attention paid to the confrontation that just occurred. It appears as though she's put the matter entirely out of her mind to be resolved later when she isn't preoccupied.

			The rest of the class carries on without me learning much about what we'll be learning about. Junior was correct on that point. One bit of useful information to take away is that whatever happens next, the relationship between Junior and myself will probably never be properly repaired.

			Unfortunate, but survivable.
			*page_break Going home...
			*goto_scene 1-12Outside-1
		*if ((juniorfriend =false) and (juniorhostile =false))
			After sitting down, I briefly scan to see how much of the room I can see from this position. The room is pleasantly simple in terms of architecture and there is very little that is hidden behind obstructions.

			It's pretty clear immediately upon sitting down that Junior is not happy to see me. Though it manifests only as a minorly annoyed aside glance before looking back to the front of the room where the teacher is introducing herself. The woman up front introduces herself as Mrs. McGain, and the male sitting to the side as a Student Teacher named Mr. Maehal.

			That's background noise to me, though. I'm more concentrated on Junior at this point. Not much has changed from my thoughts on him since we last saw each other, less than an hour ago. I'm glad that we're not in a hostile relationship anymore, but that's about the extent to which I want to be related to him at this time. 

			Maybe that will change in the future. Maybe it won't. If my life experiences have taught me anything, it's that nothing can be counted on to remain constant. There's the natural degradation of foundations, time itself eroding a structure from the bottom up until it is forced to change in order to adjust to the new ground. There's more dramatic changes that occur from outside forces, restructuring the landscape in either gentle or violent ways. Then there is, as my old employer called it, the 'fuck it' variable, in which things change for no reason other than somebody, somewhere decided to drastically alter their usual patterns of behavior, often for no better reason than just 'fuck it.'

			As of yet, no such alteration has occurred, and probably won't within the next 8 hours of daylight left. And unlike some others, I tend to avoid randomly changing my patterns for unexplainable reasons. Until something in the situation has changed, I intend to stay on my set course.

			Unless I change my mind somewhere down the road.
			*page_break Next
			The class goes by uneventfully. The teacher tells us a bit about herself and her class. Despite opening up with a promise of doing 'icebreakers' to get to know each other, by the time she's half-way through her description of history, the bell is already ringing.

			Throughout the class, Junior displayed as little interest in me and I did in him. It seems we are equally satisfied with the current status of our relationship. Fortunate, as it means that he is less likely to pursue a change in the established status quo, allowing me to better predict future events and react accordingly. If something changes, I would rather be the instigator instead of merely a reactor.

			*page_break Going home...
			*goto_scene 1-12Outside-1
		*if (attemptescape =true)
			*set juniorrelationship "Friendly"
			After sitting down, I briefly scan to see how much of the room I can see from this position. The room is pleasantly simple in terms of architecture and there is very little that is hidden behind obstructions.

			"Hey, how're you doing?" I hear Junior address me from my side and glance at him, somewhat annoyed at him for interrupting my evaluation though I'm also feeling a little guilty for messing up the mission to leave the building.

			"I'm okay," Daniel told me about this situation. The question 'how are you doing?' and its variations have a series of valid responses for one to choose from. Of all of those, 'okay' invites the least amount of inquiry from the individual requesting information, except in the rare situation that a person actually does want to know how the person they are asking is feeling, however those instances are few and far between.

			"Hey look," he continues, "I know all that before didn't go as any of us planned, but you don't have to worry about it. Having a sneaky way out was more for convenience than anything. You know, there's still nothing they can do if we decide to just up and walk right out of here. Sure they can call our parents, but it's not like they can arrest us, right?"

			Unfortunately, while that may be true for him, a strong feeling in my gut makes me feel that the results would be very different if I attempted to do something similar.

			[i]"Ahem."[/i]
			*page_break Next
			While Junior's in the middle of a sentence, our conversation is interrupted by someone deliberately clearing their throat. A single gaze out of my peripheral vision reveals the person in question to be Mrs. McGain, looking at the two of us with a hint of annoyance on her face. "Do you two have something to add that the rest of the class would like to hear?"

			It appears that through our dialog we upset the instructor. I try to remember what exactly it was that she was talking about, but the subject matter escapes me at the moment. She continues to stand and watch us, not continuing her statement and is clearly expecting a response. I'm not sure what, if anything, I am expected to say at this moment in time. This doesn't change much, however, and Junior speaks up shortly after the instructor has finished her questioning.

			"I guess I could add that this day is completely pointless and a waste of all our time," he says with a demeaning voice toward her. "Not like we're actually going to do anything important on the first day."

			"Oh is that so?" The teacher asks with a tone to match his challenging one. "Since you sound so sure I'm certain you have valid reason for why you feel this way. Could you please explain your philosophy so we as a class might study its merits?"

			"Not like I can say anything we don't all know. We're only here for, like, 20 minutes and the entire time is spent saying hi to one another. There's no point for this day at all, it can be completely missed and nobody would have lost anything of value!"

			"Perhaps you'd prefer to go up and make your case to the principal, and see if he agrees with your statement?"

			Junior scoffs and shakes his head, "No point. I'm done here." He stands up and marches out of the room, Mrs. McGain watching him the entire way. She doesn't say anything about it, instead nodding to her student teacher who pulls out a notepad and begins writing in it. However he feels right now, Junior clearly hasn't won the long-term engagement.
			*page_break Next
			After that incident, Mrs. McGain continues with what she was talking about before with barely any attention paid to the confrontation that just occurred. It appears as though she's put the matter entirely out of her mind to be resolved later when she isn't preoccupied.

			The rest of the class carries on without me learning much about what we'll be learning about. Junior was correct on that point. One bit of useful information to take away is that while I may not have as much of Junior's respect as I would have preferred, I can still rely on his friendship.

			Not ideal, but acceptable for now.
			*page_break On the way out...
			*goto_scene 1-12Intercepted-1
		*if (attemptescape =false)
			After sitting down, I briefly scan to see how much of the room I can see from this position. The room is pleasantly simple in terms of architecture and there is very little that is hidden behind obstructions.

			"Hey, how're you doing?" I hear Junior address me from my side and glace at him, somewhat annoyed at him for interrupting my evaluation.

			"I'm okay," Daniel told me about this situation. The question 'how are you doing?' and its variations have a series of valid responses for one to choose from. Of all of those, 'okay' invites the least amount of inquiry from the individual requesting information, except in the rare situation that a person actually does want to know how the person they are asking is feeling, however those instances are few and far between. "You are still here."

			"Yeah, the whole escape thing didn't work out," he says with a shrug. "Found the old place, but couldn't find an opening to get in and out of here. Don't have to worry about it, though. Having a sneaky way out was more for convenience than anything. You know, there's still nothing they can do if we decide to just up and walk right out of here. Sure they can call our parents, but it's not like they can arrest us, right?"

			Unfortunately, while that may be true for him, a strong feeling in my gut makes me feel that the results would be very different if I attempted to do something similar.

			"So, finding high school all you expected it to be?" He says this with a grin that implies a double meaning to his words, perhaps a dose of sarcasm. Unfortunately, seeing as how I didn't have many expectations for American high school, I can't really properly reply to this. Leaving me with a dilemma as to how I should respond. I suspect he's trying to tell me some kind of joke, so replying with a serious answer would create suspicion. However, even if I reply in an equally non-serious manner, if the words used are incorrect, that could prove just as problematic.

			[i]"Ahem."[/i]

			Ultimately, the decision is made for me.
			*page_break Next
			While Junior's in the middle of a sentence, our conversation is interrupted by someone deliberately clearing their throat. A single gaze out of my peripheral vision reveals the person in question to be Mrs. McGain, looking at the two of us with a hint of annoyance on her face. "Do you two have something to add that the rest of the class would like to hear?"

			It appears that through our dialog we upset the instructor. I try to remember what exactly it was that she was talking about, but the subject matter escapes me at the moment. She continues to stand and watch us, not continuing her statement and is clearly expecting a response. I'm not sure what, if anything, I am expected to say at this moment in time. This doesn't change much, however, and Junior speaks up shortly after the instructor has finished her questioning.

			"I guess I could add that this day is completely pointless and a waste of all our time," he says with a demeaning voice toward her. "Not like we're actually going to do anything important on the first day."

			"Oh is that so?" The teacher asks with a tone to match his challenging one. "Since you sound so sure I'm certain you have valid reason for why you feel this way. Could you please explain your philosophy so we as a class might study its merits?"

			"Not like I can say anything we don't all know. We're only here for, like, 20 minutes and the entire time is spent saying hi to one another. There's no point for this day at all, it can be completely missed and nobody would have lost anything of value!"

			"Perhaps you'd prefer to go up and make your case to the principal, and see if he agrees with your statement?"

			Junior scoffs and shakes his head, "No point. I'm done here." He stands up and marches out of the room, Mrs. McGain watching him the entire way. She doesn't say anything about it, instead nodding to her student teacher who pulls out a notepad and begins writing in it. However he feels right now, Junior clearly hasn't won the long-term engagement.
			*page_break Next
			After that incident, Mrs. McGain continues with what she was talking about before with barely any attention paid to the confrontation that just occurred. It appears as though she's put the matter entirely out of her mind to be resolved later when she isn't preoccupied.

			Given the casualness with which Junior attacked the instructor, it seems unlikely that this was a one-time occurrence. More likely, this is a pattern in his association with those of authority. It's clear that he has no intention of 'blending in' or trying to act in the manner of an upstanding and moral citizen.

			Knowing this...
			*fake_choice
				#My opinion of him and our relationship remains the same
				#I may want to change how we interact in the future...
			Approximately 12 minutes after Mrs. McGain continued her introduction speech, the bell rings overhead to dismiss us from the class and, it being the final hour, the school itself.

			"It seems our time is up," Mrs. McGain exclaims. "You may all leave now! Please enjoy the rest of your day, class, and we will all see each other tomorrow!"
			*page_break Going home...
			*goto_scene 1-12Outside-1