A/N: This is not, and never will be, a NSFW story. So please do not ask for it in this.
"Do you want to become a ghost hunter with me?" That's how it all started. The true nature of a sweet dog, a blossoming relationship, and a strong and unbreakable friendship.. only to be shattered with the hammer of mistrust and confusion.
It was the beginning of the senior school year for young Vivi, and she was so excited to start. Biology class here, Economics class there, and so much to do in between. She already met her teachers and gathered all necessary learning tools for her successful year. The bell rang, shaking her excitement as she entered her first classroom: Language Studies. She knew her teacher, Mr. Reynolds, very well. He once taught at Yale, and was one of the most honest, wisest professors she knew. She found a seat near the front of the room so as to have a good enough view of everything around her. "Welcome back, Vivi! How was your summer?" He asked, his voice bearing a cheerful baritone.
"Oh, it was pretty good. Found out there was a ghost bugging my neighbor." She claimed, both of them chuckling at the remark.
"Good to hear you're still interested in the paranormal." He smiled before beginning his lecture to the class. Fourteen other people encircled Vivi, almost all of them doing other things, like looking around and talking to each other.. Except one. No. This boy tried his darnedest to jot down everything on the board, tongue firmly pressed to the upper corner of his mouth as if to boost his concentration. He couldn't have been much taller than she was, with semi-long blond hair spiked backwards a bit, with a handful of brown strands mismatching it up front, brown thick eyebrows, and a soul patch to complete it all. He wore a slightly baggy white shirt, just barely hanging on his collarbone. Most of it was concealed in a fluffy orange vest that looked like it could be mistaken for a makeshift life preserver.
Vivi realized she was staring at him when the bell rang, signalling the end of class. She got up and gathered her stuff. When she rounded the desk, she accidentally bumped into someone. All that was heard before Vivi opened her eyes again was a yelp. She looked down, embarrassed. Had she been so distracted? The guy who was so focused on taking notes was staring up at her with fear in his eyes. "Please, take whatever you want.. Just don't hurt me!" He squeaked, trying to hide behind a binder labeled "A. K. Language".
She held out her hand, causing him to flinch. "Now why would I hurt you? I don't even know you." She joked.
"Okay, thanks." He said as he grabbed her hand and rose up, walking with her out of the classroom. "My name's Arthur, by the way. Arthur Kingsman." He reached his hand out to have a more formal greeting.
She took his with her own, smiling. "Nice to make your acquaintance. I'm Vivian Prescott, but all my friends call me Vivi. Where are you headed anyway?" She inquired, noticing they've been walking together for about five minutes.
He scratched the back of his head "Um... Bio Chem? I never had it before, so I don't know where it is."
Before he even finished the sentence, Vivi gasped, grabbing his arm and bringing him with her. "Holy cripes, that's my next class, too! I know the way. Come on, Arthur!" He let out a yelp as she practically dragged him to the next room. when they arrived, the bell had just rung. Vivi excitedly sat in her seat and hinted for Arthur to sit near her. He chuckled nervously and accepted the offer, quietly setting his stuff down and switching his language binder to the appropriate one. Not long after the class started, there was a knock on the door. What came after nearly made Vivi's heart skip a beat.
"Sorry, I'm late. I got a little... lost." He said, looking over to the teacher.
"That's not a problem." She kindly responded. "Please, introduce yourself to the class."
With a slight bow, he smiled and did just that. Hi guys, my name's Lewis Pepper. It's nice to meet you all!"
One girl intervened "Pepper? Like... as in 'Pepper Paradiso' Pepper?!"
He chuckled "That's right! My family owns the restaurant. We'd love to see yo..." He trailed off when Arthur caught his eyes. "Artie! You're here, too?"
Arthur jumped a bit from the sudden outburst. "O-Oh... Hey, Lew." He said, absent-mindedly inviting his friend to sit with him. The rest of the class went on with Vivi occasionally stealing glances at the new kid. He was pretty tall and strong-looking despite the fact that he was a freshman. He and Arthur seemed to know each other well. When the bell rang, she excused herself and headed out, trying to avoid looking at him any more than she needed to.
"Hey! Wait up, Vivi!" Arthur shouted from across the hall, earning the desired effect. She turned around to see him almost running toward her with the new boy fast behind him. She forced herself to avoid staring at him. "What do you want?" she asked quietly.
"I'd like you to meet my friend, Lewis. We've been buds since I was in 8th grade, right Lew?" He said, giddy about his friend being there.
"Y-Yeah. I guess we have." He chuckled, extending his hand to her. "What's your name, miss?" When she gave hers to him, he leaned down to gently kiss her knuckle, causing her to blush.
"Presian Vivscott, I mean... Um... I'm Vescott Privi. CRAP!" She shuffled nervously. What was going on with her? She could feel her whole face burn with embarrassment, only to get worse when both of the boys laughed. "Guys! Knock it off!" She fussed.
"Vivian Prescott, huh?" He inquired, still chuckling. "It's such a pleasure to meet you. Any friend of Artie's is a friend of mine." He bowed, looking up at her.
She nearly froze. A guy looking like him being a complete gentleman? She couldn't believe her eyes! "T-The pleasure's mine, Lewis." She mumbled.