A Subway Platform?

[Calvin Strong]

"All right," Cal said, starting to edge toward the door back to the dorms. "We'll just stay away from the windows then. Cool. I'll just... be going."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Calvin, what are you even running from?"

[Calvin Strong]

"Oh, this is the 'condescendingly try to reinstill doubt' part! That part was always fun," Cal shot back as he walked along, not about to make a run for the door if she was just going to sit there and not try to stop him.

[Nailah Weaver]

"No, this is the part where I recognize that hunted look in someone's eyes, because I've seen it hundreds of times in the mirror." she says, letting him walk to the door, knowing that as long as he doesn't bolt Haley would be coming back in time.

[Haley Crusek]

Haley finally did return, with a bottle of pills and a can of soda.

Okay...calm...he'll even out eventually...be calm for him...you can do this...

"Cal...c'mon. Let's just sit down and talk. I brought your meds, and a can of soda from your stash...will you calm down?" she asked, cautiously approaching him.

[Calvin Strong]

"Why is everyone telling me to calm down? I just want to leave without getting robbed or assaulted here!"

[Nailah Weaver]

"No one is assaulting anybody, but unless you can properly explain what that thing I'll have to confiscate it."

[Calvin Strong]

"So this is what we do? We just walk through the dorms and say 'oh, you're holding something, if you can't tell me why, I'm going to take it'?"

[Nailah Weaver]

"This is hardly an everyday object and your refusal to hand it over to have someone take a look at it isn't doing you any favors, Mister Strong."

[Calvin Strong]

"Yeah, because I like my stuff staying in my hands," Cal shot back. "It's not yours, I didn't use anything of the school's stuff to make it, you've got no right to it."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Okay I'm officially tired of this. Haley, please see that he takes his medication." she says, glancing at the girl before muttering a series of incomprehensible words. The rod jerks to life and goes flying across the room, landing in Nailah's open hand.

[Haley Crusek]

"We're telling you to calm down because you're overreacting, Cal. You just made something and sure seemed like you attacked Regan with it. She probably deserved it, but still...can't you see why they want to make sure the thing is safe? We could've all been killed. They're just trying to watch out for us, cutie. C'mon...just...take your medicine, come sit with me and talk."

[Calvin Strong]

"NO!" Cal shouted, and extremely unwisely, launched himself across the room after it.

[Nailah Weaver]

Nailah rolls herself back against and over the backrest of the couch in an improvised flip, landing behind the couch with spread wings. "This is not up for debate, Calvin. I don't want to hurt you, but I will have to restrain you if you don't calm down."

[Calvin Strong]

"Give it back NOW!" Cal shouted, electricity crackling in his hand, his eyes fixed on the fruit of his labors from the past month that was sitting in Nailah's hand.

[Haley Crusek]

Haley flung out her arm and tried to yank her boyfriend back from his face-off with their teacher with her TK.

"Cal! No!"

[Calvin Strong]

And Cal sailed across the room, landing in a heap. "What the..." He blinked, his eyes focusing on Haley. Now.. SHE'S against me, too... just like when... yeah... makes sense now...

[Nailah Weaver]

"You don't want to do this, Calvin. Listen to your girlfriend." she says, her free hand beginning to shimmer as magical energies begin to take flickering shapes around it. "Calm down, take your medication and go to your room. Everything's going to be okay."

[Calvin Strong]

Cal just let his eyes shoot back and forth between the two women, trying (unsuccessfully) to keep them from tearing up in anger, and frustration, and... well, humiliation. "Fine," he managed hoarsely, pushing himself to his feet to make a hasty retreat before he looked even more weak. I'll show them. I'll show them ALL...

[Haley Crusek]

"Cal, I'm not against you! Will you please just listen to me?!" Haley pleaded, her voice breaking a bit.

[Nailah Weaver]

"Give him a moment before you go after him. I'm not sure what he's been through, but it must have been bad."

[Haley Crusek]

Haley leaned against the wall, tears starting to run down her face as she watched her boyfriend leave.

"K..." She said, not turning to face her teacher. (Who could totally tell she was crying despite her poor efforts to hide it)

[Nailah Weaver]

"Are you okay? I saw some of what you tried to show me..." she asks, the glow in her hand disappearing as she steps up to Haley.

[Haley Crusek]

She didn't turn to face Nailah, just leaned more heavily against the wall

"My nightmares were easier to ignore when I knew this shit wasn't real, and my boyfriend hates me, and Regan just wants everyone to be miserable, and my head hurts so much right now, and...and..." Haley started bawling.

[Nailah Weaver]

"Your boyfriend doesn't hate you. He's just in a bad place mentally right now. As for Regan..." she sighs. "Just try not to take her baits, I'll do my best to deal with her. It's not her fault but she is the cause for some of these things bleeding through from beyond. Because she's like a weakspot in reality. And I suspect whatever this is..." she says, holding up Cal's invention "...just made that worse."

[Haley Crusek]

"It's hard to ignore her when she starts picking on people I care about. Or paints me naked on my door," she sniffled.

[Nailah Weaver]

"I know. We're... still looking for a way to reprimand her that actually works."

[Haley Crusek]

"Other than letting the demons have her?"

[Nailah Weaver]

"Maybe a couple steps below the nuclear option."