#bergen_county

The bell threatens to ring soon.

"Well, dunno, you could do a lot with a fancy diploma... like, there's a standard idiot, or an idiot from Yale."

"World rewards idiots from Yale."

"And you know how much I like rewards and recognition." He rolls his eyes. "At the end of the day, a cheap or a fancy diploma are both the same to wipe your ass with."

A little brow furrow.

"...I guess." She sounds.. downcast?

He glances back at her as they head towards the next class. "Sorry, that was kinda gross, right?"

"Well, gross is part of your wheelhouse. But.. I mean, what would I do with a degree, anyways?"

"Well, if you run out of toilet paper?" He gives a gummy smile. "But seriously... you ever take a look at job listings? Ann Marie talks about it sometimes, when she's working for the work re-entry programs. You can't even get considered for most entry-level shit without some degree.

Beyond that, well. Some people just like to have it as something that they did. An accomplishment, right? Lets people know you 'did the thing'. Like do good, be knighted. All that cr... junk."

She frowns.

"Yeah..."

"Now you, I bet you could be a professional baller, then retire if you don't waste your millions. Maybe coach, or something."

"I got class." She holds her books closer to her chest and retreats.

He watches her go, frowning a little, and heads to his own class.

Symon's next class is something of a blessing, in that the teacher mumbles and talks low. The students make more noise than the teacher in fact, whispering or texting thinking no one observes. He's no boggan, gossip is boring. Blackmail material however is always of interest. One girl apparently came out of the closet last month, got a lot of praise and support about being who she is... only it seems she's actually now seeing a guy and realizes that if she admits she's not a Lesbian folks are going to be pissed at being 'fooled'. Someone talks about Alisa being out of the coma, and saying she seems to be a bit off... did she always talk like that? But Covid brain is mentioned and that eases it up. SOme say Mr. Gardener tries to hard to be 'in' but at the same time he can be trusted.... he helped ditch some weed that antoher student almost got caught with? Huh. And rumors of a headless body found by cops in the town

He makes notes.... pass the questioning girl to Sylvi, or maybe she can tag Piper in. Fixing the rumor train for Alisa, that would be Lucia, or maybe Ramona. Vali's on his own on that one. Headless body?

Symon allows himself to be overhead, snickering. "Yeah, right. A dead headless body. What is this, Sleepy Hollow? And it haunts us to this day...." Rolling his eyes.

A few chuckles break out, but some? Some are nervous.

For Dagmar, her next class goes okay enough, but ... it's like... well... college thoughts? What Symon said, or didn't say. What will her folks say? or do? What if a big college sends a scout? One from far away?

....What if she can't cut it?

Girls like her don't go to college.

"Hey, you okay?" Another girl, wait, a senior she doesn't know?

"Huh?" Blink.

"I was wondering if you were okay? You seem down."

The girl looks fit, there are tattos on her arm? Celtic.. but Dagmar notices something else. An odd scaring on her palm.

"I'm fine. I... how'd I miss you?"

"Don't know" The brunette girl says "From what I hear about your track skills, if you were aiming a shotput, you wouldn't have. But also I transferred over winter break, which sucks for a senior year but here we are. I'm Fay" SHe offers a hand to shake

"Okay, so I didn't." She takes the offered hand.

"Look, none of my biz, but I got shit bothering me, and someone once told me the best way to distract yourself from your own shit is to help someone with someone else's shit. So... said the nosey neo pagan girl who others are staring at, 'you seem down'" A shrug. Her grip firm enough for a non troll

Meanwhile... Symon notices one girl has changed. Last year, she was all sunshine and light, the kind of person she'd avoid, dressed nicely and stuff. Now she seems to be in handme down goodwill outfit, and the joy is gone. SHe's got a haunted look, and the students seem to be unsure of her.

Curiosity and a gentle kenning. "Well, I'm Sam."

"And I'm not... down. Stuff on my mind, I guess. Where'd you transfer from?"

She doesn't seem banal, but she doeesn't seem kithain.. no fae spirit under the skin despite her name. She's fit. "I uh... " A cough "Was at this school's rival.. the OTHER Passacke" Lower mutter

"And you got stuck transferring mid-senior year? That close? Yeah, that does suck."

"Family emergency" Fay shrugs "My..grandfather is..well... he's in trouble. "

"Oh no..."

Symon eyes the sun-gone-girl, trying to remember her name. If he even knew it?

"Hey," Fay says "I ddidn't bug you to Dump. I bugged you to help you with whatever problem you might want to talk about of your own so I could distract myself. How dare you flip this on me and be nice?" A sardonic smile, then says "Covid. My granfather is a sweet old fart. He's also an idiot. No vacinations. He's.. in bad shape."

Andi? No, that's a nick name... Symon ponders ANDREA WARD... yeah, he's heard that name ..wait, was that in the news? Okay, this might be one area Boggans have a lead.

"Shit, yeah. That sucks. They are getting better with treatments..."

The boggans may have a lead in rumour, but Symon has the internet. He searches recent local news, scanning for that name.

"Kind of have to" A troubled look on Fay's face

The internet? DIABOLICAL... also common sense in this day and age... Ah, there is is... Local Girl Testifies against older Brother in Roofie Rape Case

"Sometimes you gotta just... hold tight to believing in something."

Symon winces. ain't touching that one. Nope. NOPE. He watches her covertly for a moment longer, wondering if maybe a kind word? But... nah, being associated with ME ain't gonna win her no social favors.

Fay nods "Yeah... faith.. mind you, my faith is a bit.. atypical" She taps at her marked arm, "and usually it gives me strength but lately, I'm starting to wonder if there's.... it's harder to believe in a world of wonder outside what we see when you feel helpless." A glower, ,not at Sam, but at the window leading outside "That there's more than just what we taste and smell and feel and see and hear... " for a moment, banality seems to edge in 'But..fuck it. PRatchet is right. IF they are lies, then they're good lies and I need them or what's the point? Justice, Hope, all that" The banality is shoved back

Symon can see Andrea huddle in her winter clothes.. and yes, hear some whispers "Narced on her own brother?" is one take... another is "Bet she got molested" ... another take still... "Whole family is fucked up" ... it's amazing how folks from such diverging viewpoints can ALL manage to be judgmental assholes on the same girl

She shrugs. "Lots of stuff is made up - money is made up, but that doesn't make it not real. And yeah - justice, honor, truth..."

"They matter."

"Okay, we have totally turned this into a you cheering me up thing instead of a me helping you out of what I thought was your gloom thing" Fay says "I'm starting to think I suck at this empathy gig..but.. thanks"

She shrugs. "You helped."