Knights in Shining Blue Armour

[Sloane Taylor]

As she looked on at the gurney holding Nolan with his face half covered by the pillow he was propped on, Sloane wondered if it weren't for her being such a stalker, he would have probably been okay. Her ice blue eyes accosted the scene as she wrapped her arms around herself.

There were covered body bags everywhere and she wondered if any of them were people she knew. God...how were their families supposed to cope? In Sloane's mind, she could just picture the families with their kids. Having breakfast on a typical Monday morning, joking about what the day was going to bring, fully expecting to see them by the end of the day.

Sloane had never personally lost someone she deeply cared for except her grandfather but even then she was way too young to be so concerned about it.

"Miss Taylor?"

The redhead turned and composed herself for the police officer that had cartered her out of the gym with Nolan. He had been kind enough to provide her with the benefit of the doubt when he saw the two guns and her bloodied hands. He even gave her a wet tissue to wipe her hands.

"Are you ready for your statement?" he asked gently, one hand at the small of her back to guide her to a place where she could sit. She followed silently before they came to a bench where she sat opposite the officer. Her eyes roamed the school grounds at the ambulances and the students milling around, looking a bit helpless and aimless.

Then thoughts of her best friend, Bree and her semi-acquaintance Tyler Durnham came to mind. God she hoped they were okay. Well...mostly Bree but she had to admit, not seeing Tyler would sort of be a bummer. He amused her.

"So...the guns?"

Sloane snapped out of her train of thought and tried to focus on the police officer. "Self-defence. The...dude shot my friend, aimed the gun at me...didn't know what else to do." She told the truth. The police officer nodded, writing in his litte spiral notepad. "Shouldn't we be in the school instead of out here?" Sloane asked, eyeing the police officer.

"Would you rather be in there?" he asked softly. Sloane took a second to think it over before shaking her head. "But I think I should get in there...I have friends I need to see if they're okay." Sloane got up, feeling a bit woozy but she managed to walk in the auditorium in search of Bree or even Tyler.

[Tyler Durnham]

On the walk over to the auditorium, Tyler managed to find the time to buy a coke from a vending machine, and study with slight unease the bullet lodged firmly into the machine. So, the people who stormed the school were obviously not good shots. He wasn’t sure if that fared well for the students and teachers at the school. He had passed people crying, saw blood, people frantically rushing past him to search for friends. No, it hadn’t fared well.

He made his way to the large room, and not surprisingly for him, moved straight to the stage. He pulled himself up to it, sitting on the edge, scanning the room for everything, and nothing in particular. It was only then that he realised something. There were people crying, tears of happiness though this time, yells of joy as friends were reunited, couples were rejoined with their loves.

Tyler couldn’t imagine anyone at the school, not a single person, who would react that way to seeing him alive and well, nor was there anyone he would react that way to. He had friends, and admirers, many, many admirers, but he had no bonds that close with a sole here. He wondered what it would be like, for just a moment he wondered what it would be like to have someone care so much for him. And then he decided he didn’t need that, didn’t need to have people that close. He had money, popularity, good looks, and of course, all the women he could want. It didn’t matter. He couldn’t allow himself to think it mattered. He couldn’t allow himself to wonder.

A face caught the corner of his eye. Maybe not always a friendly face, but a familiar one none the less, and Tyler motioned as Sloane neared, getting her attention. He let his eyes wander over her, to distract them both, and he grinned, though it was shaky at best. “So even given the current situation, you can’t stand to be away from me. Didn’t know you cared so much, Sloane.” he smirked, offering his coke.

[Sloane Taylor]

Sloane's socked feet ached as she stood on tiptoes to look over the giants that were apparently Silver and Gould students. It was her own fault that she threw her boots at her assailant, she reckoned. Once she spotted Tyler over by the stage, a smile flickered on her face for just a brief moment before she walked up to him, pulled him down by his pants and hugged him tight.

She ignored his squirming and protestations, she grinned at what he said before. "Nope." She said a little too cheerfully. "Can't stand it one bit." She squeezed him one more time before letting him go, grabbing his coke and draining it to the last drop. "I'll get you another one when I get back my stuff from class." Sloane said, crushing the can in her fist before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

Jumping up on to the stage, she tried to look for Bree but she was nowhere to be found. Giving up, she dropped down to sit on the ledge of the stage, tugging at Tyler's shirt. "You won't believe the day I had." She said, smirking a bit. She stretched langoriously, her shirt riding up a bit, revealing her milky white skin underneath. When she dropped her hands, she realised she was being stared at by her little Freshman informant, Michael Quinn. "Yes, birdie?"

Getting over the fact that he had just seen what was underneath the shirt, Michael stammered as he informed Sloane of Bree's whereabouts. Sloane stretched forward and patted Michael on the head before sending him away. "She's alive at least. I'm going to the infirmary then. You coming?"

[Tyler Durnham]

Sloane Taylor was hugging him. The Sloane Taylor, who he was sure respected him as much as he did her, who he enjoyed playing with and being played back, who his father had expressed his feelings on her being a perfect match for his son, and he was sure her parents had said the same thing about him (not that would happen, ever, even if either had the slightest inclination towards a long term relationship with anyone) was clinging onto Tyler as if for dear life. It was a side of her he had never seen before, and wasn’t sure if he would have minded never seeing that side. He grunted, his protests muffled by her shoulder as she almost pulled him to the ground in her enthusiasm. But, they had just gotten through a shooting, so he let it slide without comment. It was actually kind of nice, to be greeted like that, by someone he saw as a friend, even if they at times disliked each other. Not that he would ever express that sentiment, it was too sweet for him.

“I’ll let you off on the coke just this once.” he grinned as she drained the rest of his can. He had only brought it anyway for something to do with his hands. And giving the fact that he was sitting right beside her, it was only natural that the footballer paid very close to her when she stretched. She was a gorgeous girl after all, and he was Tyler. As much as he tried, as much as he flirted and propositioned, she never slept with him. Sure, there was the odd drunk, and some not so drunk, kisses, but she had never got as far with him as he would have liked. Which he found quite amusing. He only continued with his efforts because she resisted, and because they both found it fun.

Besides, another sentiment he wouldn’t speak aloud, especially to the girl in question, she was one of the only women he actually admired for her mind, one of the only women he would seek to talk to. Sure he talked to his conquests, but he didn’t have deep and meaningful conversations with. He liked his talks with Sloane, liked her way of thinking, which was close to his at times, and he liked to pick her brain.

When he could managed to avert his eyes from that beautiful skin, Tyler noticed he wasn’t alone in his admiration, and smirked at the Freshman who looked like he was having the best day ever now. He couldn’t help but laugh as Sloane practically petted the kid the way you would an animal, and sent him on his way.

“So, you managed to pick up a pet here. Bet you’re working on a whole line of admirers, Sloane. Can’t say I blame them though.” he laughed, before getting to his feet. He hopped to the ground, his hand out towards the stage, offering to help her down. “Sure, I’ll come. Beats sitting around here on my lonesome, after all.” He didn’t know Bree all that well, but he knew her. They ran in similar circles after all, both being privileged. She was a beautiful girl for sure, but something kept Tyler from bothering to get to know her further. She just didn’t seem like his usual type, he put it down to.

[Sloane Taylor]

Sloane had never been the type to ask for help but she could not help but smile when Tyler offered her the hand. Tyler was charming. Dangerously so, in her mind. Sometimes she even felt as though he would be the exact type of guy she would consider having as a 'friends with benefit' type of thing. But they were too much alike. And they were friends, at best. Or rather, they respected each other enough to be civil with each other. Although it didn't help that both their parents thought they would make a perfect couple. Sloane had even heard her mother plan a perfect June wedding for them if they were to end up being high school sweethearts. Right. Like that was *ever* going to happen.

Even so, she accepted his proffered hand, slipping hers into his and sliding off the stage. She straightened her skirt so it skirted her knees rather than riding up her thighs before running her fingers through her hair. "He was *not* a pet, mind you. Although he *does* act like a little puppy every time he's near me. And I am not working on a whole line of admirers. I already have them." She looked smugly at him. "You're not the only one whom all the girls love." Sloane slipped into her flirting mode, despite the situation they had just come from. Tyler seemed to have done the same thing and for that she was grateful. She didn't think she'd be able to handle it if Tyler lost even a bit of his suave confidence.

When Tyler accepted her offer to go and visit Bree, she nodded and walked ahead. "Oh fudge...I don't have shoes. Can you believe I threw my Mary Janes at the bugger who accosted me and I didn't think of retrieving it? Loboutins, Tyler. That's the only thing I have that has a brand. And now I have no shoes." She stopped walking to wriggle her toes in her socks. She was actually grateful she was wearing socks.

[Tyler Durnham]

He laughed, Tyler actually quite enjoying the truth of what Sloane had pointed out, that he now wasn’t the only one with admirers, and some of his probably admired the girl currently at his side. He enjoyed the competition, but, let’s face it, he was a guy, and as sophisticated as he was, he found two women together as appealing as the next red-blooded male. “That’s true Sloane. And it’s making me wonder. I saw a few girls glare at you when you came over. But, now I’m not sure if the glares were intended for me instead. You’re quite the...popular one.” It was a nice way of saying she slept around. Well, so did he, so he wasn’t about to judge. He actually liked that about her. Both knew what they wanted, and were vocal about it. It was refreshing, he decided.

His eyes lingered down to her feet, seeing the wriggle of her toes, and a smirk lit his face. Of all the things she could be concerned with now, she was worried about her lack of shoes. That was Sloane alright, and he found it a relief. He didn’t think he could have managed it if she went all weepy and soft on him now.

“Shoes, Sloane? You’re worried about shoes?” Tyler laughed now, taking a half step back to keep out of arm distance, if needed. “Worried you’ll have to pick up a part time job so you can replace them? I feel for you babe, I really do.” He winked at her, patiently waiting for her to wiggle her toes some more. “I don’t think anyone is going to notice, or if they do, care. But if it really irks you, I’m sure I can convince some girl to lend you a pair.”

[Sloane Taylor]

Smirking, Sloane moved forward and punched Tyler's arms, not quite playfully either. "You asshole." She said in retaliation to what he said about her having to take a part time job to get shoes. It was going to be a very long time until she had to take up a job because she couldn't afford anything. In fact, she wondered if she even had to work at all for the rest of her life. She supposed she *could* take up a job just for the heck of it.

"And besides," she started to walk out of the auditorium when she saw her sixth period teacher. Approaching her, Sloane turned a bit to Tyler. "If there's any convincing going on, I'll be responsible for it." She tossed her hair over her shoulders and turned to her teacher. "I'm here and accounted for." She tapped him on the shoulder before walking away to exit the auditorium. She was still shoe-less but she thought to herself "What the hell...there are some people who've lost worst." She shrugged.

"Come on. I want to see Bree. She must be freaking out right now." Sloane grabbed Tyler's hand and dragged him out of the exit. Sloane had only ever been truly worried about people a few times in her life. And there were only a few who warranted her worry. Nolan had funnily enough been one of them. Then again, he *had* saved her life so...she guessed it doesn't count. And Bree. Her best friend since first grade. She had always been Sloane's number one priority. Sloane felt strangely protective over her. She hadn't even hit on her when she discovered her sexuality.

Bree was one of the people Sloane genuinely liked with no strings attached. They had been through too much already together not to have created that kind of bond. Now all she could think of was being by Bree's side. Unlike Sloane, Bree might not be dealing with the situation as wantonly. She just hoped Bree hadn't gone too far off.