My eyes shot open to the sound of pounding at my and Kanner's door as he shakes me awake.

"Good Morrow brother." He hushed reassuringly as he tossed me a black sweater and a pair of grey pants, "Be silent as you ready yourself for school Mother has returned late from the bar and is rather intoxicated, I'd hate so dearly if said intoxication resulted in any abuse, be it violent or verbal." I sort of understood him as I got dressed, he opens the door and it immediately attacks, and by 'it', I mean the wrath and screaming of our mother whom, just as Kankri expected, was drenched in the scent of our rent money's liquor.

"Please move mother." He sighed. He'd always seemed so collective and calm in these situations, perhaps he sympathized with her, from what I know, she started this when he was five and I was three, when our father (driving drunk most likely) got into a wreck, fracturing his skull and killing herself horribly. Perhaps the death of her beloved hurt, or the fact that he was in the car with another woman whom he'd apparently been having an affair with for over six months.

I glanced down as I shoved my feet into my shoes, grabbing both our bags as Kankri blocked her from me, I was scared and he could see it in my eyes. She screamed at Kankri to move knowing damn well she couldn't do as much damage to my older brother as she could to me.

"I refuse!"

"You pricks look just like him. . ." She slurred. She meant father I assumed. . . we did resemble him a bit more considering we were brunettes with equally curly hair and pale skin to match. "But that little one is fucking identical." I suppose it was the brown eyes that hid behind the bags . . . my eyes were brown like my fathers while Kankri's were a shocking blue.

"I refuse to let you harm this boy especially before school, Mother!" His voice raised, even as she struck a blow to his stomach, Kankri stood before me, shielding me.

"You better control him, Karson, or I'll send you two to foster care."

That was the threat that always got the either of us, when we were young it meant separation, and neither of us could live with that, and now it meant-at least for Kankri- homelessness considering he'd be eighteen coming this July, and I'd be sixteen (the ending age for boy's home acceptance) in the same month.

"No!" I rushed before Kankri and guarded him, his eyes widened as I clung to him defensively.

Here we go again.

The same damn thing.

Kankri tearing me away as I was screamed at and blamed for everything, as I was accused of ruining her marriage and killing our dad, like he wasn't some asshole who didn't fucking beat his five year old black and blue. Kankri begging to take the blows as they were given to me.

It was an hour later and she'd left, I was of course, trying not to cry. These were the moments where I was the strong one and Kankri apologized and held me. . . his tears made it hard not to cry. He kissed my forhead.

"Come on. . she's probably asleep, let's go to school." he hushed. I nodded, groaning a bit as I stood, he examined me, thanking god that I hadn't any terrible bruises. We tiptoed out of the apartment, Kankri was ahead like every moment making sure it was clear.

"Will you eat at school?" He asked. I nodded, though I hadn't the appetite he didn't want me to get ill, I was rather prone.

Every so often he'd stop to fix my hair or something to make me feel better, mornings like this, though they occurred almost ten times a month, always made him fidgety. But what could he do? Mother hadn't any money to steal, we were already on welfare, and unemployment in a small two bedroom apartment on the absolute worst part of town. We could afford better but of course mother needed to indulge in drugs and booze.

Kankri sighed as he checked the clock in the hallway.

"Go to your second period and meet me at the library after school."

The library was his first job, he worked two, the library from 3-10 every week night, and a private tutor from 12-8 every weekend which made about 200 a week which always went to paying for utilities, and what was left he either bought me clothes with or hid for me to go to college. He didn't need it, he'd be going to a private college up north on full ride because of his scholarship.

I opened the door as every one turned around to stare.

"The fuck are you assholes looking at?" I hissed as I walked over to my seat. The teacher often paid me no mind considering I detested her and this class, she knew I was trash but hey, I got a decent grade considering it was one of the few honor's classes the run down excuse for a high-school provided.

I leaned back, pretending to pay attention for a good hour before picking up my backpack and stomping out.

"Wait up~" I glanced back to see one of my closer friends, Eridan come into view. "W-Woah."

"Your stutter irritates me, asshole."

"Thanks, lov-ve."

He walks me to world history where the both of us can goof off together considering this (aside from art) was the only class I had an A in.

"I heard Gamzee likes you"

"Good for Gamzee, Asshole."

"Don't you like him?"

"I don't fucking know." My face lit up, I mean yeah Gamzee was so. . . fucking alluring but I'd always had a bad feeling about him. . . he scared me and it was kind of hot.

"Well do you or don't you~?"

"Your penmanship is gay."

"Thanks. Quit avoiding the question."

"You know the answer."

"You want him."

"Maybe. . ."

"Ha!"

"Whatever pay attention or something."

"What do you like about him?"

"He's hot okay?"

"And?"

And. . . we're fucked. The teacher snatched the note from my hands as I started on a reply. Fuck my life.

He began to read it aloud. Great.

Wait-Oh shit. . .He's in this class.

Once he finished everyone was laughing, considering the oh-so-welcoming school, people whispered gay slurs at me as I pretended to read, my face boiling. I glanced back at Gamzee, and of course that asshole had to be looking right at me. . . his expression was so blank, was he angry? Oh fuck. . . maybe if I look away.

But of course, the bell has to ring when I don't want it to.

" , , please wait after class."

Thank god.