some things you can't explain away

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Tim: Classes haven't even started yet and Tim's already exhausted; between his wild roommate, who is now separated from his equally wild best friend who also just so happens to be his best friend, to his pill popping suitemate and the boy that openly flirts with Leech, he's running on empty by the time dinner wraps up. With a bit of free time before he has to go back to his dorm, he ducks down to a quiet hallway and slips into the music room, planning on quietly playing one of the available electric guitars because it's a rare pleasure and, most importantly, no one will be around. Entering the classroom, he doesn't see anyone - sighs in gratitude for that - and makes his way over to the small selection of guitars all in their stands off in the corner.


Leech: Leech isn't hard to miss, tucked away in the corner atop an amp. A guitar in his lap says he had the same thought about avoiding people. But when he lifts his head from the notebook he's scrawling on, he doesn't appear to mind having his solitude interrupted by Timothy. Not sure if the boy is aware of him, he speaks quietly to hopefully avoid startling him. "'ey, kid. Get sick of the constant party upstairs already?" Last time he was up there Jade was showing Kellen how to utterly destroy LPs on his turntable.


Tim: The way in which Timothy bee-lines for a guitar is evidence that he doesn't notice Leech in the room, and Timothy's nerves are shot enough for the day that he's rather distracted on his mission. However that voice doesn't startle him, but he does instinctively swivel his head, scanning until he sees Leech and then relaxing a bit; he knew who it was on voice alone, but is relieved to see it's Leech - and only Leech - here with him. He goes back to grabbing one of the electric guitars and looping it over his body, and snorts for that question. "They're discussing having a music festival in our dorm. Charge cover at the door and everything." He so wishes he was joking.


Leech: In a different mood, Leech might be amused by that information. He certainly wouldn't put it past Kellen to plan this. Right now, in this mood, he only sighs long-suffering and rubs at his face. "It's not that I'm looking forward to classes starting, but maybe that'll remind 'em this is a school instead of a fuckin summer camp fer druggies." He unplugs his own guitar and climbs off the amp, taking a seat on the piano bench instead and motioning with his head. "Y'can plug in if ya want, think I'm stuck on this one."


Tim: There's another noise of amusement for that, because Tim feels much the same; between Jade's constant, around the clock drugged state, and Jesse and Kellen smoking themselves stupid, the comparison isn't too far off. Once he has that guitar strap across his chest, Tim's actions slow, and he looks over at Leech, sees how he's disrupting him. He pauses, hesitates. "Ah, I ... didn't mean to interrupt. Sorry."


Leech: Leech doesn't look up at that, scratching out a line on his notebook, just shakes his head and speaks with typical terseness: "Yer not." Then maybe realizing he came off a bit too brusque, he glances at Timothy before tossing that notebook atop the piano. "Was trying to seize the free time before I gotta go back to teaching freshmen Stand by Me but it's not coming out right."


Tim: Tim still hesitates a bit, one hand going to the guitar strap across his chest, holding it as if he's ready to take the instrument off and head back out. He recognizes that terseness and maybe feels warm for it, slightly embarrassed, but knows not to expect the parasite to do more to make him seem less of an intrusion. So he just nods a bit and heads over to plug in the guitar, flipping a switch until there's the familiar sound of the guitar reverb. "How many classes are you teaching this semester?" Not that Tim is in any of them, or anything.


Leech: Leech unstraps his own guitar, walking over to replace it in its stand and pick up an acoustic instead. "Jus three again. Beginner, intermediate, advanced." He doesn't ask whether Timothy is in the last, already well aware that he isn't. He snags a tuner from the top of the piano and clips it to the acoustic's head, because these spare guitars have been sitting here most of the summer untended. "Headmaster keeps trying to talk me into doing two beginner classes but I'm not sure I could handle so much tedium. Then he wants to do some kinda after school rock band shit..."


Tim: Tim settles atop a nearby amp fairly comfortable, one leg tucked under himself as the other dangles off the side of the amp. He adjusts the guitar in his lap and fidgets with the tuning; this one wasn't played by the parasite earlier, so it needs a bit of tweaking. Timothy does it all very mechanically, obviously familiar with how it should sound, but he tests each string and then various chords to get everything aligned. He chirps a bit in amusement, because of course Jefe wants that. He doesn't look up from the fret board when he talks. "You're gonna have your own School of Rock?"


Leech: Leech starts to re-tune the acoustic, one eye on the tuner while he twists the pegs. Timothy's teasing question earns a noise of disgust. "Not if I can fuckin help it." He almost adds that Maddox is the only competent drummer he's aware of, which would likely end badly, but thinks better of mentioning the kid. "I was kinda hoping Justin would come back an' I could recruit him as my aide, let him teach the beginners at least, but he's too metal for us anymore."


Tim:That actually makes Tim laugh, enough that he eventually stops himself from doing it by literally - but gently - biting his own tongue. Maybe Leech's new band could perform at his dorm's music festival. But before he suggests that, he furrows an eyebrow and glances over at Leech, curious. "Your aide? Like a teachers aide?"


Leech: Leech doesn't lift his head or stop what he's doing at the sound of that laughter, but he comes close to smiling, himself. "Mhmm. Kellen was my aide last year, but that just meant he took the period off to get stoned before lunch usually. An' he doesn't really have the necessary...authority? Or whatever."


Tim:He adjusts a few pegs and then clucks on the strings, testing their tune until he's satisfied. This is all done quietly, until Tim finds the right sound - then he more strongly plucks, wiggling his finger on the fret a bit to make the note warp as it echos out. "Guess I forgot about that." He's spent a few months trying to forget much of the past year, but that doesn't - and won't be - said. "He isn't doing it again this year?"


Leech: Still appearing distracted by his tuning efforts, Leech shakes his head. "He failed his lit class last year - it was the one after lunch, he skipped a lot - so he's gotta take an extra one this year to make up the credit. Finishing with the smaller A string, Leech takes the tuner off, goes to put the guitar back and pick up the next.


Tim: For a brief moment, Tim thinks about Jesse - how despite how much weed he smokes, he still easily excels at schoolwork and dedicates time to his studies, and is quietly grateful. He nods again for the information and moves his fingers along the fret, the movement coming through the amp, before he starts working on a quick, traditional ska chord progression. "Are you teaching any other classes?" Because sometimes, at least in years past, Leech would sometimes take on a different elective class for a semester at a time.


Leech: "No, not this year." He doesn't add that three - or four, if Jefe gets his way - classes already feels like way more than he can handle. This is one of the first easy conversations he's had with Timothy and he doesn't want to turn it uncomfortable. Sitting back down, he doesn't immediately start tuning again. Instead he watches the boy's playing for a long moment and speaks without considering his words too deeply. "I don't guess you'd consider doin it?"


Tim: Tim continues his playing, looking more and more relaxed as he does. He's a bit hunched over himself, keeping close to that guitar, and maybe even smiling to himself at the sounds that come back to him. His playing slows but doesn't entirely stop for that question, and Tim lifts his gaze to actually look at Leech's face, curious. "What, being your aide?"


Leech: Leech immediately, immediately wants to retract the offer, worried Timothy will take it the wrong way - whatever way that is. But his face remains blank, giving nothing away as he's so practiced at, while he nods. After a moment he offers some encouragement, meanwhile busying himself with attaching the tuner. "Yer too advanced fer me to teach you anything. You were last year, really. I'm sure ya wouldn't have any trouble with the beginner class, at the very least."


Tim: Tim watches that face, the way it remains blank, and tries not to think about the times he was able to see more there. He sighs very quietly to himself and looks back down to his guitar. He feigns being deep in thought - it's obviously because he's still working out those chords, albeit quieter and slower than he just was. He wouldn't mind having different electives; since he cleared through most of his required classes, his senior year schedule is a bit more relaxed, which includes pottery and poetry classes that he wouldn't at all miss. He rolls his lips together before continuing the conversation and decisively not looking at the parasite. He doesn't sound like he wants to start drama; if anything, he sounds like he doesn't want to be a bother. "You sure that's a good idea?"


Leech: Leech watches Timothy out of the corner of his eye while he considers, automatically fixing the tuning on the guitar. When that question comes, though, he decides he can't chicken out entirely. He lifts his head to meet the boy's eyes, or at least to look at him. "Yeh. I do." After a moment of hesitation he goes further. "I know shit's kinda uncomfortable still, but I think we can get past it. I... miss having you around." Then, of course, he looks back at the strings.


Tim: It's absolutely ridiculous and probably embarrassing just how quickly that confirmation makes some of the tension in Timothy's form dissipate. That isn't to say he looks at ease, but he's a bit less hunched, fingers not so tight. He's maybe ready to quip back with his own agreement, but the parasite keeps talking, and talks some more. Tim's eyes immediately jump to look at Leech when that particular M word comes out, but he blinks a few times and looks down at the boy's hands, and then the other guitar. "Oh." He berates himself for that idiotic response, then swallows and continues. "I mean. Yeah. I miss ..." He doesn't say you or us or this and shrugs a shoulder. "Being around."


Leech: Likewise, Leech visibly relaxes for that semi-agreement, the line of his shoulders going less rigid. He nods, decides the best thing to do is return to technical details before he admits anything else. "The beginner class is third period. Jus, think about it. If yer willing to do it I'm sure we could move yer schedule around to fit it in."


Tim: Tim drags his eyes back to his own guitar, transitioning to the chords for Train In Vain, burned into his memory. "Yeah ... I'll think about it." He's pretty sure his mind is made up, but he can't be that transparent - and it completely aligns with the feedback Lars gave him earlier in the day to 'go and find the parasite', which is dangerous in its own right because Lars' suggestions are rarely good ones. "Thanks."


Leech: Maybe Leech was hoping for a settled agreement, but he doesn't give that away, only nods and returns to tuning. Because he's still incapable of saying 'you're welcome'. It doesn't take long to recognize the song Timothy's playing. It makes a corner of his mouth tuck back, wry and almost rueful, but he doesn't take it personally. "So you gonna headline at that dorm room music festival?"


Tim: There's a part of Tim that's wondering why Leech didn't ask any other student - Mal, maybe even Jesse - to be an aide; maybe they couldn't take on teaching responsibilities, but they're capable of office work and Leech doesn't seem to hate either of them. But he stops his train of thought before it can run away from him and laughs a little bit at that question, amused. "Yeah, main stage. Right behind Kellen's desk." By now, the festival discussion is surely a fully fledged plan.


Leech: No, neither has the ability to instruct others, but that probably didn't weigh into his unexpected - even to him - offer at all. Really, he'd been accepting of the fact that he wouldn't have an aide. Maybe he'll come to regret asking Timothy but right now, it feels like a good choice. "Ya mean his desk is the stage? Can't imagine where they think they're gunna fit a band." Finishing with the tuning, he doesn't immediately get up, leans against the closed piano keyboard and starts playing aimlessly, not loud enough to overpower the amp Tim's using.