Gus Kinney: hello i'm back again and with a QAF story so i hope you like the story and come back for more of it

A soft sigh escaped me as I stared up at the ceiling. Sunlight was just starting to peek through the curtains, but I still had a considerably amount of time before I even had to consider getting out of bed. Most kids my age had the same reaction with having to go to school, but I really just didn't want to go. It was frustrated being stared at all and dealing with all the whispers and giggling as I walked by. That was just the girls. A few guys had asked me out too, but none of them were really datable. Someone else might have saw some potential lying there, but that was their concern and not mine. "Gus, wake up, you're going to be late."

Dragging myself out of bed as slowly as possible, I threw back the curtains and dressed. Mondays are the worst. Sometimes they were better when there had been a big party and most of the kids were worn out and hung over, but I couldn't recall there having been one this weekend. Normally everybody would be bouncing off the wall all Friday afternoon if there was then cut out of 6th period early.

I grabbed my bag off the back of my desk chair then wandered downstairs. Flopping down in my chair, I grabbed an apple out of the bowl, wanting something to do that would kill time before I had to go to the bus. Showing up early never really turned out well for me. "Did you do your homework?"

I nodded absentmindedly, gazing out the window above the sink.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded again. The only reason I was sure was because I remembered having to actually look up the answers for my history questions instead of being able to use the book. Although the teacher did tell us it wasn't going to be in there. It wouldn't have been the first time I was told that when it was. At least they hadn't found out about my test tomorrow. I never would have gotten away with studying less than an hour.

I rinsed my hands in the sink before grabbing my bag and heading off. My mom called a quick 'have fun at school' as I pulled my shoes on, but I didn't respond. I was doubtful of having a good day.

A chill ran through me as I shuffled down the street, and I wondered if going back and grabbing my coat would be worth it. Judging by the small gathering at the bus stop I doubted it. Moms would not be happy if they had to drive me to school again because I missed the bus. I wasn't prepared to test their patience today.

A small group of girls stopped talking and glanced at me as I stood a few feet away. It's way too early for this. Moving my bag to one shoulder, I reached inside and pulled my headphones out. I needed them for the almost hour long bus ride anyway, so putting them on a few minutes early couldn't hurt. If I was lucky I could get away with leaving them in until third period. Loud music was probably the only reason I was surviving the year.

Someone threw a paper ball at me as I took up my usual seat at the front of the bus, but I pretended not to notice. The sleeves of my shirt were just long enough to cover my hands if I pulled them down all the way, so I used them as makeshift gloves. Our school was never kept warm enough. It was better than being outside, but not by much some days. I was going to have to start digging my sweaters out of the back of my closet soon.

The bus ride was a long and thankfully uneventful one, but we arrived a lot earlier than normal since a few stops were empty. Meaning instead of the usual fifteen minutes of wandering around until school started I had twice the amount of time. It was really enough time to start anything, but at the same time, I could only walk so slowly to homeroom and spend so much time organizing the three books in my locker before I got bored.

A few straggling couples wandered in ahead of me, and I had to bypass another pair trying to make out in the doorway to an empty classroom. Was it really that hard to keep your hands off someone in a public setting? I get it, you're in love, now stop dry humping in the hallway.

Although I suppose I wasn't the right person to judge, on the right day seeing two people holding hands frustrated me. Out of all the people that threw themselves at me, I couldn't even find a decent boyfriend. My standards couldn't have been that high. I was just looking for something long term with someone who didn't manage to get on every single one of my nerves. Maybe the bar was too low. I mean outside of school I had no problems with kids my own age. The people I saw on a daily basis were just that. People. Nameless and faceless beings stuck in the same classes I was for however many days were left in school. Nobody really stood out to me, and that was probably the problem.

I started when someone touched my shoulder suddenly and turned away from my open locker. I had moved my books around for a good five minutes but nothing could change how little space there was inside the dented metal cube. I pulled my headphones out and slowly turned to find a red-head with glasses standing there. "Can I help you with something?"

She looked familiar, but I couldn't quite place where I had seen her before. "I'm in your history class and I wasn't here Friday. Rumor has it you take good notes so I was wondering if I could borrow them? I have a study hall first, and I can copy them then."

I shrugged and started rummaging through my bag, eventually producing my purple history notebook. She thanked me, relaxing slightly as she scanned the last page. "I don't know if they'll be much help."

"No, no! These are perfect, thanks. I'll give this back to you later."

"Right…" I watched her briskly walk away as the bell rang. I slammed my locker shut and continued on at a much slower pace. My homeroom teacher was always late and I could get away with showing up a few minutes late. Science wasn't really my favorite subject, but if someone got our teacher off subject for more than five minutes odds were we wouldn't follow the actual lesson planned for the day. On a cold, and sleepy Monday that was just the thing I was hoping for. But we had a ton of homework for her over the weekend, and the same kid always brought it up.

Another blonde girl in a cheerleader's uniform gave me a flirty wave as I passed by, but I didn't acknowledge it. I was pretty sure she already had a boyfriend and I wasn't about to be curb stomped because someone decided to start telling everybody I was the 'other' man. If she was really so unhappy she should have broken up with him then go chum the waters, not the other way around. Unless she was one of those girls who purposely stirred up drama… That was definitely a turn off. Who has fun adding more stress to their lives?

The thought of getting yelled at for not doing something I knew I was supposed to do was enough trouble I was willing to risk currently. Especially after I spent most of the summer grounded because I kept breaking curfew. I hadn't exactly been doing something I shouldn't have, but at the same time my moms thought I had been spending too much time with my dad. Sometimes I couldn't say I blamed her. Now he was the walking definition of drama. But I couldn't deny the fact that he gave good advice on a lot of things. Maybe I should ask one of them for help, between the three of us we should be able to figure something out.

After stopping off at home to drop off my bag and make sure my moms knew where I was, I caught the bus into the city. dad could have easily picked me up, but I didn't think I would have been allowed out if my moms knew where I was going. It was a school night and he wasn't exactly the most responsible person. Although what did it say about me if I knew this and still always went to hang out with him. It was the only excitement I got. I could have done without him bringing me along to clubs. I've had enough twenty somethings trying to pick me up because of who I was with to last a life time.

Climbing off the bus, I let myself into his building and slowly climbed up the stairs. It wasn't that early for him, but I still didn't want to take any chances. I even went so far as to announce my presence before I arrived. I'm not home right now.

I sighed softly and unlocked the door. Stepping into the area of controlled chaos. It would be back to it's normal, stately manor by this time Wednesday rolled around. Then this place would go back to looking like a frat house by Sunday and the cycle would repeat itself.

Flopping down on his couch, I busied myself with a game on my phone. Doubt slowly began to creep over my head and I was starting to believe that this was a bad idea. dad was the farthest thing I could get from a love expert. Last time I checked he didn't really go around looking for a boyfriend. Still… he might have been the best option I had. He would have a more impartial opinion than my parents. Sometimes bluntness was what I needed. If I don't do this now I don't think I ever will. I'm sick of being alone.

When the door opened I had started to enter a light doze and sat up slowly. "Hey kid, what's up?"

I groggily looked over as dad happily tossed his keys on the counter. My train of thought was temporarily halted as I tried to resist the urge to close my eyes again. He sat next to me and ruffled my hair while I cleared my head. "Nothing, I guess...school?"

I rubbed my face with my hands and hunched forward, realizing how late it had gotten. "New question, what brings you here?" I knew this was a bad idea.

"Uh… Nothing, forget it." Standing I turned to reach for my bag, forgetting I hadn't brought it with me.

"I don't think you'd come all the way out here without telling your moms for nothing." A frustrated sigh escaped me and I flopped back down, undoing the top couple buttons on my shirt. "I could have told them."

dad leaned back against the armrest and rolled his eyes. "No, I didn't get the usual call about 'make sure he's home by seven', Lecture. Now stop stalling.

"I just…" Sinking back into the cushions I closed my eyes and tried to organize my thoughts. "I want a relationship. But I'm not sure if I'm ready for one because I think I might like the idea of being in a relationship more than I might actually like being in one. But that's not really what I'm asking. What's supposed to come first, love or dating? Because I really can't say I've fallen in love with anybody who passingly flirts with me, and I don't think I'd date any of them either. Only I'm sick of being alone, but there's nobody to really-

"Okay, okay, slow down." I took a deep breath and waited for him to say something, and hoped that it would be helpful. I hadn't intended for all of that to come out at once, but I guess I had been worrying about this a lot more than I realized. "You breathing now?" I nodded again and took a deep breath. "Good. Now in my not so expert opinion, I think you're over thinking this way too much. There is not an instruction manual for these sorts of things. If there was, I wouldn't read it anyway."

He paused and I flopped against the back of the couch. How was that supposed to help? He might as well have just said 'don't worry about it' or 'give it time'. If I wanted to hear that I wouldn't have bothered coming all the way out here. He had to have something buried in there that was better advice. It felt like everybody else was going off and finding love or stupid teen romance and there I was. An eligible and apparently attractive bachelor without someone to give the time of day too.

"Don't give me that."

I arched an eyebrow and looked over at him. "What?"

"I wasn't done. Don't rush me, I might have to take longer now. Who knows? I might have to run to the store or-

He cut himself off and smirked when I glared at him. He shouldn't have been getting this much out of my internal crisis. "Gus, relax I'm kidding. Step one, what are you looking to gain?"

"I'm supposed to want something?"

"Long term, unless you want a hook up. Then I'll have to pretend this little chat didn't happen because a certain someone would not be happy to find out I set you up. Then there's all these various subclasses. Honeymooners, who just can't seem to stop having sex in bathrooms. Soulmates who do everything together, and finish each other's thoughts constantly. Oh, the ones who you can't tell are dating one another because they are barely invested in one another. Those are my favorite, they're so easily led astray. There's more but I don't want to bore you."

"I'm definitely not looking for that." Maybe I couldn't figure this out because of that. I mean, I just wanted to not be alone all the time. Should I have been trying to look for a friend instead of a boyfriend? It didn't feel like companionship was the only thing I wanted. It was more of a knowing there was someone outside your family who cared for you at the end of the day. Friend could do that I guess, but… intimacy felt like a better word. "Something long term I guess. But I don't know what I'm looking for either."

"Well what don't you like about anybody who has tried to pick you up?"

"Obnoxious...clingy. It's all more of a 'oh look who I'm dating now'. Instead of a 'this kid's cool, and I'm happy we're dating."

We locked eyes and he replied, "So you don't want to be a handbag?"

"If you mean a status icon then yes?"

A long, thoughtful silence filled the room, and I was expecting something halfways profound. Sadly I was very mistaken. "Well you've already weeded all of those people out, right?"

Sharply exhaling I sat up again and checked the time. "That's not helping me any. I don't talk to any of them ever. And that's pretty much the majority of my class, and then some."

"See? You know who not to approach. Why don't you go search the fringes for someone as equally detached and seemingly romantically frustrated as you are."

I brushed back some of my hair and slowly blinked. "That could still be anybody. There's a whole table of them at lunch. They sit there and don't talk to each other, and they don't interact at any point outside of lunch. I don't even think they know each other's names."

"Gus you have to work with me. You aren't making this easy."

"No you're just making this hard."

"I'm pretty sure that's you." I propped my head up on my elbow and studied the whirls in the wooden floor. It gave me something to do besides convince myself I was better off just being alone. Thinking about running off and finding love, or at least the illusion of it, was a lot easier said then done. I mean, I could wake up and tell myself I was going to become a cat, but there's literally no way for a human being to turn into a cat. Sitting here and not even trying seemed like a waste too. What was I supposed to do?

"What do you want from me?"

He shrugged. "A straight answer would be nice." I groaned and flopped sideways, burying my face in a pillow. Did he think this was funny? Because it's not. This is not what I signed up for. "Come on, I was joking."

"Can you joke a little less?"

"Yes, but I don't think I will. Just, give it some time, or something. Some people are late bloomers in the romance department. You definitely are." He threw his hands up in surrender when I tossed a pillow at him and continued, "hey, I'm not complaining. It's better than 'my hearts broken and I'll never love again'. Until the next person comes along and the process just repeats over and over until you're in a relationship where you are both settling for one another because you both feel like there's nothing better out there."

"Gee thanks dad, I feel so much better." I slid to the floor again, realizing my sarcasm had gone right over his head. "Take me home?"

"You sure do want a lot today. What's next? We going to stop for ice cream?"

I rolled my eyes and grabbed his keys off the counter. "It's way too cold for that."

Gus Kinney: dad's lol i hope you you come back for more