A quiet exit

[Stefano Rice]

Seth wasn't one for leaving a place quietly, but after a talking to from his father, and a desire to attend college, he had decided that it was in his best interest, or his future interests, that he decided to leave without making the big splash that he had intended - plans for which, he left in a notebook inside the closet so that the next person to occupy this room, would have some good ideas on ways to shake things up around the campus.

With his room packed up, and everything ready to go; Seth knew that all he needed to do now, was wait for his parents to turn up to collect him (the main reason he was leaving so quietly). He'd packed up Hoot's things too, and a horse transport truck would be arriving in a few days to collect the gelding and return him to his previous owners.

[Katherine Lorelia]

Kitty had faced something of a dilemma, but, she reasoned as she climbed the stairs to the floor where a rather startled looking boy had assured her that she would find Seth, it wasn't as if she was a student any more. And that was a thought which brought a sharp lump to her throat and a certain pricking in her eyes, but she pushed that aside to divert an intense focus to making sure that she got the right room, because the last thing that she wanted to do was surprise some poor freshman.

Tapping lightly on the door of the room which she hoped to God was Seth's, the blonde paused a moment before pushing the door open and poking her head around it, relieved to find that not only had she got the right room, but its occupant was fully dressed and perfectly decent.

[Stefano Rice]

While he waited, Seth went through all the books and papers that were on his desk, still waiting to be boxed. All the papers he didn't want, he balled up and threw them into the bin in the corner of he room. He tended to miss more than he got them in, but that was half the fun.

He glanced over as there was a knock on his door, obviously not his parents. "Enter, if you dare." He laughed when the door was already opening as he spoke, maybe it was them after-all? "What can I do you for, Miss Kitty?" He asked with a bright smile.

[Katherine Lorelia]

"Well, that's for you to know and me to find out, Mr Seth," Kitty returned, with an equally bright smile of her own, as she stepped into the room and pushed the door closed behind her. She had, as a matter of fact, come up to tell him that his parents had arrived, but there was no rush; it seemed that he was still in the middle of clearing the place out, and in any case, this was going to be her only chance to say goodbye! "You look cheerful!" Herself, the blonde wasn't entirely sure how to feel. She was certainly going to miss Blue Ridge, but the future was a new adventure.

[Stefano Rice]

Seth rolled his eyes and shook his head, he should have known that he'd get cryptic reply from her. He picked up his pile of books and rather unceremoniously dropped them into the last empty box on his bed and closed it up before returning to the desk to finish balling the paper left on there. He snorted about looking cheerful. "Trust me, if I wasn't grinning, I'd be grimacing, and I needed to at least pretend that I'm happy to see my parents." It would have been so much better if his grandparents could still drive, and one of them could have come and got him.

[Katherine Lorelia]

The blonde giggled. "Oh, dear... Is it really that bad?" She took a few steps further into the room, glancing around with a measure of curiosity as she perched herself on the edge of the bed. She'd never been into one of the boys' rooms before, for obvious reasons, but it looked to be more or less the same as her own, which was disappointing, really. They could at least have tried doing something with the decor. For herself, the blonde was rather looking forward to seeing her family again; with them being so far away, it had been an awfully long time, and she had missed them all greatly. She planned to return to America afterwards, though; her years at Blue Ridge had given her a love for the country and the people that just wouldn't go away.

[Stefano Rice]

He gave a bitter laugh and shrugged. He guessed that if he'd been more of a rule follower, rather than breaker, life at home would have been a little easier, his father less likely to jump to conclusions every time he got a call about his son. "I guess I don't like the fact that actions have consequences." He said honestly.

His eyebrows lifted again as he watched her looking around the room. "Disappointed that I had managed to tidy up before you walked in?" He asked, a teasing glint to his eyes. His eyes swept over the room, making sure that he hadn't left anything more than what had already been in the room when he had arrived. "When are you heading off? Bet you'll be happy to get home." Sure, this was quite a drive from where he lived, but at least it was just that; a drive.

[Katherine Lorelia]

Kitty wasn't quite sure what to say to that, and so she took the prudent course for once in her life and kept her mouth firmly closed, merely giving the boy her most sympathetic look as her fingers pulled idly at the edge of the sheet underneath her. She had a similar problem herself, she supposed, always having been one to leap into action rather than sit and think about the most logical thing to do, but she was lucky in that her parents had always understood that and were more likely to laugh at her mistakes than to complain about them. From all that she'd heard, the same was not true for Seth.

"Highly disappointed," she agreed with the most solemn nod that she could manage, though a smile threatened to break across her face at any moment. "I was expecting to be able to berate you for the state of the place." Shaking her head solemnly, the Irish girl folded her hands in her lap. "Not until this evening. Getting an overnight flight."

[Stefano Rice]

Seth ducked his head, instantly feeling guilty for dampening the mood in the place, but he guessed there was nothing to do about it now as he finished clearing all the paper from the desk and then tied a knot in the bag in his bin, ready to get rid of that on his way out when the time came.

He laughed at her reaction. "I'd apologise, but then I also didn't want to chance only being half packed when the parental-units arrive, because then I'd never hear the end of that all the way to wherever we'll be staying tonight." And then he might just be tempted to do something just to annoy his father even more. Ah, his life was such a double edged sword; his father would be grumpy for something that wasn't his fault, so he'd do something to give the man a reason to go off the deep end. "hopefully you'll be able to sleep the entire flight, might help battle the jet-lag on the other end." Though he guessed it would depend on the time difference between here and there too.

[Katherine Lorelia]

Kitty's mood was like a rubber ball in water; it could never be kept down for long, and it only took a moment or two before her usual bright mood and optimism had reasserted itself and her bright smile was once again present. Besides, even if Seth was in a bad mood, her being in a bad mood too wasn't going to help! No, she needed to be cheerful and enthusiastic, and with any luck, it would rub off on the blond. If not... Well, who knew?

"I hope so," she agreed, although to be honest, the Irish girl had never been very good at sleeping on flights. She was usually too excited about whatever was at the other end.

[Stefano Rice]

If he had to say the thing he liked the most about Kitty, was the way she just floated from one emotion to the next; which he guessed was what had made her such a great cheerleader.

Seth couldn't sleep while travelling, not since the car accident that had given him the scar on his eyebrow, but he knew that some people traveled better if they could sleep it away. He frowned as his phone beeped, letting him know that a text had come through. "This is very midsummer madness." He muttered before giving Kitty a bright smile as he picked up his phone and read the message. "They are letting me know that they have driven through the gates. No doubt giving me time to get dressed and banish whatever poor harlot I have in my room." Well, the former would be the reason, the latter was just funny.

[Katherine Lorelia]

"But it's not the middle of summer yet," the blonde pointed out somewhat facetiously, with a grin for the boy. She knew her Shakespeare as well as anyone; all the same, though, she took a certain enjoyment from teasing Seth about his adherence to the Bard's words in every given circumstance. "So... I'm a harlot now, am I?" She spent a moment considering the idea, tilting her head from side to side as if to view it from every angle. "Well, I suppose it could be worse. I never knew that!" Having had enough of tormenting the boy, at least for now, she got up again and crossed the room, pulling him into the tightest hug she could manage. Kitty was going to miss all her friends here, and Seth had always been nice to her, even when he was being insufferable at the same time.

[Stefano Rice]

Seth stuck his tongue out at the girl. "Better that than the one I wanted to use." He replied with a wicked grin.

He laughed at her reaction to his words. "You, my dear, are anything but." He assured her with a warm smile. He hugged her back, almost tempted to ask her to hang around to the parental units arrived; if just to see the look on his father's face. He knew that it wouldn't be fair on her, and he didn't want to leave the school ruining a really good friendship with stupid questions from his mother. "You wouldn't have a suitcase I'd fit in, would you?"

[Katherine Lorelia]

The blonde giggled. "Do I want to know?" It was a rhetorical question, of course; she definitely did want to know! Perhaps she was nosy, but Kitty preferred to think of herself as being curious. It was a much nicer word, after all, and didn't make her sound like the kind of person who sat staring out from behind lace curtains all day.

"I think I'm going to take that as a compliment," she commented with a teasing grin, resting her head briefly on the boy's shoulder. Kitty had spent all day saying goodbye to various people and places, and, of course, horses, and by now she had had just about enough of it. She wanted to curl up into a ball and sleep for about a week to try and forget how miserable she was feeling about leaving it all behind. "And I'm afraid not. I'm almost at my maximum luggage allowance."

[Stefano Rice]

Seth laughed. "Now is the winter of our discontent." He replied with a grin. "And that would have been completely off season."

"Thank you." He said as he held her tighter for a moment and then released her. He pouted at the news of the girl not having a case for him to stow away in, not that ever worked in real life anyway - X-ray machines caught a person hiding in a suitcase every time.

He looked out the window as he heard a car door close with with more force than was ever needed and sighed when he saw his father's car. "I guess this is it." He said with a sigh. "And whether we shall meet again I know not. Therefore our everlasting farewell take: For ever, and for ever, farewell, If we do meet again, why, we shall smile; If not, why then, this parting was well made." It at least seemed to fit the situation.