[center]
[img]http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d94/Malfoys_one_and_only_girl/Signatures/Kate%20Solo.gif[/img]
[/center]

Trying to steel her quickly deteriorating emotions, Kate took in a deep breath of fresh air - a striking contrast to the humid, almost claustrophobic atmosphere within the science building. Unfortunately, the night-time crispness that entered her lungs didn't improve her mood or her shaking nerves making her suddenly glad that she had made the decision to sit on a nearby bench after being issued outside by security. Why had she been issued outside, though? It wasn't as though it was for her own safety seeing as the moment she was escorted out of the building, the  officers left her to her business. No, if this was about her safety, they would have seen her home... or to the school... or... some place other than just outside the damn building.

Something was up; and it didn't take someone with Kate's adept mind to realize that. First there was the prospect of her speaking to the board of science directors on an issue that she had no personal hand in. She was told it was by invitation; a class exercise to understand what sort of futures they had to look forward to. She was caught completely blind-sighted and student or not, Kate knew that these sort of things don't just happen. And then there was the outlandishly outrageous response. Sure she hadn't exactly been prepared, but her points were valid and she had enough evidence to back it up - but she never got the chance. She had a single opening statement and one remark, neither of which were unjust, offensive or misleading. She provided facts, and before she could blink she was on a time clock to the end of her career- no, the end of her life as she knew it.

Well... she wasn't going to get anything accomplished just sitting there. With a berated sigh, Kate pushed herself up from the bench, allowing her thin fingers to run through her hair in an effort to relieve some of the pressure she felt at her hairline where a headache was quickly approaching. To say that she was infuriated would have been a large underestimate, but Kate was better than that, more dignified. No matter how tempting the idea was of turning to face the building and shout obscenities and wave two choice fingers - one on each hand, she refrained, folding her arms across her chest in a slight self-hug as she became acutely aware that it had started to sprinkle down a light mist of rain.

"Whiskey and a coat. My Kingdom for a shot of whiskey... and a coat..."

She was sharply aware of the growing numbers appearing around her as the mass began to filter outside, but she kept her head down and allowed her long legs to carry her away from the scene, ignoring the whispers as she passed them by like she was some disease.

After just a few moments, just when Kate had managed to filter herself away from the throng of people, she heard her name spoken out loud and in question. Initially, Kate believed that someone from the lecture had been instructed to follow her, or (even less likely) her instructor to give an apology on such an abrupt end to what was supposed to be a low-key evening. Pausing in her step, Kate took a moment to look around her person, though it was not clear from the lingering people around her, who was trying to get her attention.

The sight of a man then caught her attention. He was a good few feet away, but he was the only one stationary; relaxing back on a bench and tending to a flask. A drunkard, perhaps, wandering aimlessly with no true direction or purpose? How could people live like that? Every moment in every aspect of her life for as long as Kate could remember, she had a goal and spent every waking moment striving for it. She had been told at a very early age to steer clear of people like the man before her supposedly was - her mother's attempt of shaping slipping into her mind as she softly examined the man,

[i]You're better than them, Katie. You always will be. So long as you stay away from them - from their influence, you'll be on top in no time. Do you hear me? No alcohol, no drugs, no grimy clothes, tattoos, crazy hair styles or loud music. These things are only here to distract - it's what separates us from them. It's best to just ignore them. You don't want to end up like your Auntie, Riley, do you?[/i]

Kate visibly winced as the latter portion of her mother's lectures resounded in her head. Auntie Riley - the woman whom she was named after in high regard, only for it to be soiled and considered dirt not just a few years later when she left the life of District 4 because of some guy... or something. Really, Kate never did get the full story of the woman she had been given the middle name after. No one liked to talk about it; especially Auntie Riley's son... Deon. The very second that her mother learned that Kate had allowed Deon to live in her basement after Auntie Riley's death, Kate had to simply stop answering the phone calls. Not even a single visit to her childhood home since then. Her mother simply would not see reason - it didn't matter that her nephew was practically homeless after witnessing the aftermath of the murder of his mother and little sister. What mattered was that Deon was the spawn of the degenerate Kate's mother warned her about. With her, it was very black and white and until only just recently, Kate, for the very first time in her life, was starting to see the grey.

Without even realizing that she had made up her mind on what she was going to do, Kate's long, limber legs were carrying her over to the man on the bench. Maybe he wasn't a degenerate. They were very few and far between in District 4. No, this simply had to be a man down on his luck. It hadn't even crossed her mind that this man could be potentially dangerous. Perhaps it was her drive to find proof that her mother was wrong about people, perhaps it was her own defiance coming out in her that wanted to do the opposite of what mother always said. Either way, she approached the man and, though standing awkwardly not at all sure what to do with her arms, quietly cleared her throat and stooped down just a bit towards him in what she hoped would be a non-threatening stance.

"Um... hi. Are... are you okay?"