Fifth Floor Common Room | Evening | Monday | January 11

[therewaslife]

Having all of his classes tomorrow didn't mean Bod was going to stay in his room and make it an early night. He'd thought about taking another walk down to the graveyard but decided to save that for later in the week. There was time and Bod knew neither he nor the graveyard was going anywhere for awhile.

So, he'd wandered down the hall, book in hand, to the common room. Yeah, he knew he could have just closed himself in his room to read but the common room was bigger and had food. Food that Bod immediately started scrounging for. It was a little difficult to do considering he was holding his book open with one hand and reaching blindly into the refrigerator with the other. He'd pulled out the box of baking soda three times.

Putting the book down would have been easier, Bod knew, but not as fun. So, he kept trying. That box of baking soda got pulled out two more times.

[open common room is open!]

Comments

[not-jaded-yet.livejournal.com]

"I'd recommend not trying to eat the baking soda," Jennifer remarked, heading to the fridge herself.

[bitten_notshy]

"Are you looking for anything in particular?" Jack asked as he wandered up two floors and into the common room. He started aimlessly poking at the remote. "Oh, and hello."

[therewaslife]

"Oh, I know that," said Bod, only briefly glancing up from his book before finally pulling out something edible. His little game had been fun while it lasted, though. "It was just a game after awhile."

A simple game, one Silas would surely sniff at but Silas wasn't here and Bod could play games now. Still, he'd had to stop sometime and this was as good a time as any.

"The baking soda is safe," he added, taking up a seat on the couch and shooting her a brief smile

[therewaslife]

"Not really," Bod admitted, finally giving up on the baking soda and pulling out some juice. "I seemed to pull it out each time I was reading so it was more a test of how often I'd do it without realizing. A silly game, really. Hullo."

[not-jaded-yet.livejournal.com]

"And so is your stomach," Jennifer said, pulling what seemed to be leftover Chinese out of the fridge. "Well, unless you can eat baking soda. I should have considered that."

[bitten_notshy]

"It's something to do," Jack said, not sounding like he was judging. "Sometimes you need those."

The TV settled on a news channel, volume tuned very low. "I'm Jack, by the way. I think we have a class together?"

[therewaslife]

"I've never tried." And he didn't have any particular inclination to. He peered at her over his book, taking in the appearance but not looking particularly surprised. "If you'd like to try, I promise I won't tell."

[bitten_notshy]

Jack smiled at Jennifer. "I liked what you had to say in class today," he ventured. "Hi."

[not-jaded-yet.livejournal.com]

"Oh, no, While I'm all for testing my limits, there are some things I just know are bad ideas. I didn't know if you were an alien or something, that's all," Jennifer explained. "Jennifer Walters, at your service."

She put the little paper container into the microwave and pressed the buttons to start it reheating.

[not-jaded-yet.livejournal.com]

"Thanks," Jennifer said. "I liked what you had to say, too. It showed good perspective."

[therewaslife]

Bod flopped down into a seat, giving Jack a grin and a nod. "I think so as well. I'm Bod. It's good to meet you, Jack. What did you think of that first class?"

[therewaslife]

"Bod. And I'm not an alien," he answered, shaking his head and reading a few more lines in the book. Multitasking was easier to do when the book was at a lull. "Hullo, Jennifer. How are you this evening?"

[exspeedydotcom]

When Roy came to the common room, he was hoping someone would have free food again, but when he realized that did not seem to be the case he opened up the cabinets, looking for cereal or something, and asked Bod, "Can I help you, man?"

[not-jaded-yet.livejournal.com]

"Pretty good," Jennifer said. "Today was a good day for class discussion, actually."

She opened up the microwave and used her finger to test the food temperature.

"You?"

[therewaslife]

"I don't have class till tomorrow," said Bod, giving his book a little shake, "so I've been reading, mostly. The library here is big and I've a lot to catch up on."

[bitten_notshy]

"It's an interesting question," Jack said. "Mitchell's usually an interesting teacher -- have you had him before?"

[therewaslife]

"No, it's all right," said Bod, shaking his head and laughing. "I know I keep grabbing the baking soda and I've just turned it into a silly game of how many times I'll do it without looking. I'm not planning on eating it, I promise."

[not-jaded-yet.livejournal.com]

"Big reader?" Jennifer said, taking the carton from the microwave. "That's good. Too many people rely on TV and audiobooks, now."

[not-jaded-yet.livejournal.com]

Jennifer shook her head. "First time, for me. He seems really insightful." And hot.

[bitten_notshy]

"I like Professor Cabot," Jack said. "She listened to us all. I think she's -- inquisitive" -- by which he meant nosy -- "but at least she's up-front about it. She doesn't try to sneak her questions in or drown us in sympathy. And I like how many viewpoints we have in class."

"What did you make of it?"

[therewaslife]

"I don't know actually," said Bod, giving one thin shoulder a shrug and finally letting the book rest against his knee. "I didn't visit a lot of libraries back home."

That was because he couldn't. He couldn't leave the graveyard and while Silas occasionally brought him books, it hadn't been that often. Learning had been paramount.

"So, depending on how I like the first few I read, I guess we'll see if I turn out to be a big reader."

[bitten_notshy]

"He is," Jack agreed. He wouldn't argue with the hot part, either, as it happened. "I think he's seen about every movie ever made."

[therewaslife]

"I believe it's going to be an interesting class," said Bod, agreeing with Jack on that matter. "My experience with law and justice is very scant so I'm intrigued to hear all the differing viewpoints from the different worlds."

He was pretty sure he'd surprised Professor Cabot with where he'd come from but she'd gamely kept most of it off her face.

"I did like that was willing to amend her statement when someone presented a viewpoint that proved hers wrong," he said. "Being open minded can't be anything but beneficial."

[bitten_notshy]

Jack waved lazily, glancing up from the TV, where some politician he'd never heard of was being interviewed. "We meet again! Hi."

[not-jaded-yet.livejournal.com]

"Well, it depends on the books," Jennifer said. "Your first pick is a good one, though. It'll be hard to follow that one up."