Here are two astonishing facts: Gilbert Cocteau was standing outside the door of one of Lacombrade's classrooms, and he was holding, of all things, a tattered, Latin textbook
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It was almost unsettling to see Gilbert standing there, alone and fully clothed. Both were unusual sights, after all, and even more so because of where they were. Anyone who didn't know Gilbert would have probably thought him to be an innocent schoolboy who had forgotten something or another and had gone back to retrieve it from a classroom; Jules wasn't entirely sure if he should consider himself blessed to know that Gilbert no doubt had something else up his sleeve.
It would have been all right to leave well enough alone, Jules knew; Gilbert may have been planning something mean-spirited, but he clearly wasn't doing something that would cause any serious harm. Still, it was Jules' job to check on the well-being of younger students, and besides, he hadn't had a good talk with Gilbert in a while.
As Gilbert was peaking into the classroom, Jules walked up behind him, close enough to touch him but without any actual contact. "What are you up to?" he asked softly, "surely not studying."
To his credit, Gilbert didn't jump at the voice behind him. This was something of a feat, since, really, he'd been so busy skimming over his written note that he hadn't noticed the advancing form behind him until the very last clack of shoe against floor. As he swiveled around to face the older student, he didn't bother to flip the book in his hands closed or to another page at all.
"Ah -"
That was, it looked like, as much of a greeting as Jules could expect, complete with those sharp, questioning eyes that looked him over and an idle incline of the youth's head to one side.
"Returning something - I'm bringing back something I borrowed, before. That's all."
Such a simple response. Jules wasn't sure how to read Gilbert sometimes; did he want to be left alone, or was he, as he often was, in need of someone to look after him? Best to approach with caution, lest he cause a scene.
Instead of attempting to get any more information out of Gilbert, Jules causally glanced at the open book. "Writing notes in others' texts, I see," he remarked, "I hope it's something he'll enjoy."
Giving a small smile, he stepped back to indicate Gilbert's freedom to do as he wished.
Comments 15
It would have been all right to leave well enough alone, Jules knew; Gilbert may have been planning something mean-spirited, but he clearly wasn't doing something that would cause any serious harm. Still, it was Jules' job to check on the well-being of younger students, and besides, he hadn't had a good talk with Gilbert in a while.
As Gilbert was peaking into the classroom, Jules walked up behind him, close enough to touch him but without any actual contact. "What are you up to?" he asked softly, "surely not studying."
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"Ah -"
That was, it looked like, as much of a greeting as Jules could expect, complete with those sharp, questioning eyes that looked him over and an idle incline of the youth's head to one side.
"Returning something - I'm bringing back something I borrowed, before. That's all."
Reply
Instead of attempting to get any more information out of Gilbert, Jules causally glanced at the open book. "Writing notes in others' texts, I see," he remarked, "I hope it's something he'll enjoy."
Giving a small smile, he stepped back to indicate Gilbert's freedom to do as he wished.
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