Thank you for checking out my story.

I don't own anything, it all belongs to Hussie.

Mild Spice: Fluster

The ice cold wind blew it's chilly lullaby. You sighed and began walking towards the street corner where the bright yellow bus would pick you up and take you to school. Today was a big day, the day you meet a very important person in your life.

However, you don't know that yet. You squint your eyes at the roaring figure rolling in a distance. It eventually screeches to a stop right in front of you. The doors open and you hop in. As you go down the isle you trip over someone's foot. You immediately get up to shout at whoever it was that tripped you. You stop mid shout as you find yourself looking into a pair of scarlet red orbs. "What the heck you fu-"

The scarlet irises widen in alarm, a pale hand immediately shoots up to cover the red gems. "I am sorry, my sunglasses fell off somewhere. Are you okay dude?" the blonde asks. You huff, "It will take a lot more than a simple trip to make me not 'okay'." You walk away, what a douche. He was obviously lying, whatever, you don't care. It's not the first time someone has 'accidentally' tripped you.

After all, you are considered the school's biggest nerd.

You push up your huge black framed glasses up to the bridge of your nose. You continue to write on the piece of paper in front of you on the desk.

"Class, listen up please. Today we have a special guest." A new student? You think to yourself, but it's already December.

You don't look up from the homework you are working ahead on, not until the teacher mentions your name. "His name is Dave Strider, Karkat, would you be a dear and show him around the school?

Just great. Whatever, let's just get this over with.

As you look up you notice it's the blonde from earlier. You narrow your eyes at him to form a menacing glare, he smirks back.

...

"So your name's Karkitten huh?" you glare at the pesky blonde out of the corner of your eye. Man that kid is annoying. "My name is Karkat, dumbass, are you so stupid that you can not get a name right?" you say in that high and mighty tone of yours, the one that usually puts others in their place. Usually.

"Alright, yeesh," He says grinning slyly with his hands in his jean pockets, "So Karbrosome, how old are you? You look way to young to be in fifth grade." You pout with a frown creasing your face. Everyone always treats you like a baby. Sure, you may be below the average height, but you really are eleven, why is that so hard to believe?

"I am eleven, I will be turning twelve in two months." you huff. Dave smiles as you two continue walking in silence towards the classroom since you had already finished the tour around the campus.

"Hey Kitkat?" you release a low growl and he raises his hands in defeat, "I mean, Karkat, can I ask you something?"

Your eye twitches. "What?" He points his hidden gaze forwards, away from your brown-red eyes. "Do you consider yourself a smart person?" "Of course." you say without hesitation. Kankri, your uncle and guardian, would never let you get anything below a perfect score in anything, to do that, requires intelligence obviously.

Dave glances sideways at you, or at least you think he does. Those damn shades get in the way of the truth hiding inside the pools of crimson irises. "Are you at the top of the class?" "Wouldn't allow otherwise." you respond truthfully. You look ahead and the door comes into view. In a matter of seconds you two are standing in front of the pale wooden door. As you reach for the door knob, his pale hand wraps around your own.

You look up and glare into those annoyingly blank shades. "What the hell are you doing? I already missed a lot of class thanks to you." you say, this guy really wants you to fall behind in class. "Sorry my little kitten, but from now on, I will be at the top of the class." Holy shit! He really does. You slit your eyes, "I guess that makes us rivals from today on. I won't lose to you, Dave Strider."

That is what you told him that day, you swore you wouldn't, but Dave Strider really is one heck of a rival.

(many years later)

You are now a freshman in high school. Your rivalry with Dave Strider hasn't toned down one bit. You try your hardest, but it isn't enough. He. Always. Fucking. Wins.

It's so fuckin' annoying how he beats you effortlessly. Seriously, how is it fair that he is naturally born with that much talent for every criteria. From academics, sports, music, to art, to hell, even home economics, Dave Strider has beaten you in everything.

And that's not the worst of it, you've discovered that you are red for him. You followed him all the way to high school, always determined to challenge him in anything possible.

Never had you seen such talent, such confidence, such a character as him. He has a natural charm, instantly popular, and to top it off he has natural beauty. How could heaven be so unfair as to create such a perfect person. He doesn't even look human. He's more like an angel.

And you are his shadow. A short, ugly, useless, hot tempered, fuckass of a boy, almost like a troll. At least in your eyes.

"You smell like self-hate. Is something wrong Karkat?" You turn your head to your left to find a girl with short black hair wearing red tinted shades. She is your best friend. She may be blind, but to her, figuring out what you are feeling is something she can do better than anyone who has vision.

"Just thinking about how Dave Strider has ruined my life." You say looking down at your feet that don't even reach the ground from where you are seated next to Terezi on a short boarder wall. "Oh, that again. Funny, cuz I could have sworn I smelled fluster on you from when we met him earlier." Your cheeks immediately burn red, you don't dare look at her.

"Ahh, there it is again." she chuckles softly. "The thick, mild spicy scent of nervous flustering."