Ben snooped around at school over the next three stressful days while losing hair. His weight gain seemed to have stopped for now but he didn't seem to lose it either despite his self imposed diminished diet. He listened in on conversations and sometimes hid around corners. Casually threatened a few of the less socially inclined students for information. His questions started out ambiguous with asking around about people noticing something strange or if someone was acting differently than before but as the days passed his somewhat calm earlier approach wasn't reaping benefits quickly. He threw caution out of the window and decided to ask the swimming team. They were for the football team one of the most antagonistic groups in school. While they still cheered of their school did well both groups did not get along since a few years. This was both a personal and budgetary matter. The swimming team's coach and the football teams coach did not get along either, the coach of both used to be the football teams' but he often neglected his duty to the swimming team causing bad blood and eventually a fallout between the swimming teams seniors and the football teams.
"Strange things, You're asking me?" the swimming school senior that was his classmate said somewhat loudly and threateningly. He was called Tom or Thomas but actually named Tommy. Making a joke about that was rather deadly, though as he was quite built and didn't have a good temperament. He was slightly shorter than Ben but that didn't seem to intimidate him. He wasn't a impressive swimmer but seemed confident in throwing a good punch. "Why would I tell you?" Tommy added. Ben grimaced and was somewhat annoyed but tried to be nice. "I'm not here to fight, I just wanted to know, not for the football team, just for myself." Tommy rose his chin. "This wouldn't have to do with what happened to that jerk Tim, would it?" Ben squinted his eyes unintentionally and wanted to speak. "I see it does." Ben groaned and grabbed his hair in frustration pulling out a few more he then decided to not back off,
Ben grabbed his shoulder before senior could walk off. "Seriously, please, just this once tell me, I'll make it up to you -personally-." Tommy turned around and grinned. "You promise that? On your word? As long as I tell the truth?" Ben nodded. "I'll do -anything- just tell me." Tommy hand waved sarcastically and laughed. "Fine, I'll think of something for you to do for me." he lifted his chin triumphantly. "I don't have much to tell you, is that okay?" Ben nodded. Tim scratched his chin. "Well, I guess that Searle boys have been strange this week." Ben squinted. "How so?" Tommy told Ben the situation hastily and walked off. "Remember, you owe me." Tommy said while walking off. Unknown to Ben who could only see the seniors back Tommy's face was plastered with a devious grin. Just who was setting a trap for who?
Ben's rather obvious actions however meant that Ryan caught air of what was going on. At first he wasn't too worried partially do to the situation with the swimming team antagonizing the football team but still couldn't shake an uneasy feeling.