[u]Vera[/u]

Sam. Vera committed the name to memory and was about to politely decline his offer for a cigarette when Valjean wormed his way into their conversation. Involuntarily, she grimaced at the sound of his voice before she actually processed his words. Generally, whatever he had to say either irked or disgusted her. This time, it happened to be both. Squaring her shoulders, she looked at Valjean without angling her body to face him.

"We're not here to fight-" Sam spoke and apparently, they were here to fight. At least the boys were. Sensing the situation spiral out of control, Vera's eyes darted to and fro, searching for a way out. She shifted her weight on her feet, putting herself behind Sam a little more just in time for Vespera slither up beside her. Oh, great. Like she needed someone else to stir the pot. She shot the other girl a hard look, nonverbally telling her to piss off before she made things worse- Oh, no. 

Vera rolled her eyes to the sky. Already, Valjean was powering up. Fan-fucking-tastic. There was no talking him down from his pedestal, so as a last-ditch attempt to salvage the situation, she turned to Sam and put a hand on his shoulder. His annoyance shot through her and mingled with her own for a second. The move wasn't to try and tamper with his emotions, just to get his attention.

"Sam," She urged, "This guy's not worth your time. Seriously. He does this to everybody." Vee saw Henry come over in just enough time for her to get out of his way as he made a grab for Sam and Valjean. Relief washed over her. Henry was a great guy, but he could be downright spooky when he put his mind to it. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited patiently for the scolding to come to an end. When she was addressed, she flashed him a grateful smile and shot a sidelong glance to Sam. She hoped he wouldn't mind if she introduced them. It was a little patronizing in her mind, but with the tension so high, she didn't want to press it.

"Henry, this is Sam. Sam, this is- ah, Mr. Olin?" She passed her hand between them as she spoke. Vee was so used to calling him Henry, but since he was a teacher now, she wasn't totally sure what he would rather be called. 

[u]Ethan[/u]

A warm feeling spread through Ethan's chest at Morrison's greeting. His shoulders relaxed a fraction of an inch and his pulse steadied considerably. Absently, he began fiddling with the hem of his sleeve. Home was the Academy. That place he was confined to over breaks and holidays was a constant and grossly high level of hell. Memories of that place threatened to enter his conscious mind, so his reply was quick and hollow sounding despite the effort he put into sounding genuine.

"Oh, you know. Same old stuff. Nothing new. I'm glad to hear your vacation went well." His tone picked up sincerity as he turned his thoughts away from himself. "I'm glad to be back for another year." All true facts. Some more fortunate than others. "Did you find out your roommate assignment yet?" It looked like he had something in his hands. Ethan couldn't read braille, so it could have been anything. A small part of him wished that they were rooming together, even though it probably wouldn't be possible given their age differences.