This is sort of an introduction chapter, it's just going through the majority of the first week, things will start to pick up soon I promise.

THIS IS A HIGH SCHOOL!AU

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Marvel Universe

Warning: Nothing too bad yet but there is some language and a minor violence, nothing graphic

Comments/critiques are welcomed!

Steve Rogers could cut the tension in the building with a knife.

It was the second month of the school year, Steve was in his third year of high school and he'd never witnessed the student body so quiet. The students whispered amongst themselves, none catching the eyes of others, all as if they were anxious about their secrets. Steve kept his head low on his way towards his locker; most ignored his added presence, his friends giving him small smiles and nods. All of the teachers were standing watch in their doorways, sipping their coffee and staring solemnly into the hallway. Steve shared a small smile with Mr. Coulson, his US History teacher, who gave him a small wink as he passed.

Natasha was leaning against the locker next to Clint Barton's, looking up as Steve approached her. They always knew what was going on.

"Hey, Nat…what's up with everyone this morning?"

He kept his voice low, glancing at the few students around them. They were all whispering nervously amongst themselves. Steve had only seen this happen once when one of their fellow students had committed suicide—and it still wasn't as bad then. Barton opened his mouth to answer, Natasha jabbing him sharply in the ribs, hissing at him through her teeth to be quiet. Steve furrows his brow. It wasn't like her to not tell him if something was going on. Natasha shakes her head and turns away from him. Barton gives him a sympathetic look and Steve moves on, continuing towards his locker. He puts in his combination but for some reason he could feel everyone shifting away and staring in his direction, all of them keeping their distance. He'd never felt so paranoid. Steve began to wonder what he'd done wrong. He ran a hand nervously through his hair, thinking of all the stupid stuff he'd done in the past three years; sharing homework with his football friends, the parties, sneaking into the school after hours…just dumb stuff he'd done with his friends.

Nothing harmful.

Steve felt his hands clam up. Why were all these eyes watching him? He starts placing the books he didn't need into his locker and pretends not to notice them. Steve looks up from his bag and nearly jumps out of his skin when he notices the locker door next to his was open. The locker to his right belonged to Bucky Barnes, his best friend since grade school, and the locker to his left…that one had always been vacant.

Students were still whispering, staring in Steve's direction—but he'd now realized not at Steve. A pale, bony hand grasped the door of the locker, two voices conversing on the other side. Steve looks around, studying the faces of the other students; he didn't quite understand…either this student was new and very attractive or everyone already knew something he didn't. He didn't keep up with Facebook all that well. Why did everyone have to stare though? Weren't they just making this person nervous? How were they not attracting their attention? Steve looks all around the hall now; there were teachers even out in the halls, whispering and looking around. Something was definitely going on. Steve pretends to mind his own business as the locker next to him shuts to reveal a boy. There was something about him, something Steve couldn't put his finger on. He was tall…he was tall and he was pale and thin and his eyes sparked a hint of a green when he talked. Steve blinks and notices a girl. Conversing with him was Darcy Lewis, captain of the debate team. He didn't know her very well but she was always in a good mood and always enthusiastic to talk to someone. Darcy brushes some of her dark hair over her shoulder, giving the boy a small wave and walking down the hall. The boy kept his head low, glancing over at Steve who didn't realize he was staring until their eyes locked. He could hear the whispers grow louder as he hesitated to say something, the boy turning away and walking down the hall. They all turned their heads away, keeping silent as he passed but he kept his head high, ignoring their jeers and looks. Steve stares after him as well, furrowing his brow.

The bell rings.

Steve shuts his locker making his way towards his first class—Chemistry—stumbling inside with the rest of his classmates. The classroom broke out into hushed whispers as they took their seats, Steve pulling a notebook from his bag and setting it on his desk. Bucky gives him a nod as he slips into the seat next to him, turning to talk to the girls sitting behind them. Steve looks around. Everyone looked so shaken up. Why was this such a big deal?

"Alright everyone, settle down, please," Dr. Banner clears his throat, loosening his tie as he takes his place at the front. The class falls silent immediately all of them knowing better then to test Dr. Banner's good mood. "Now…Principle Fury is about to announce the eleventh grade down to the auditorium to address any…reservations with our newest addition to the student body."

Christine Everhart's hand shot up in the air, Dr. Banner quirking a brow in her direction. "Is it true Loki Laufeyson was expelled for drugs? And that his being reinstated this year is because the school board was heavily paid off?"

"What are you talking about? He got kicked out for pulling a knife on Clint Barton!"

"No, it was because he-"

"ENOUGH!" the whole class jumps, Dr. Banner pinching the bridge of his nose and taking a deep breath. "Loki Laufeyson's re-instatement into this school is not any of your business and none of the teachers want to hear a word of it, do I make myself clear?"

The whole class nods slowly falling silent once more. No one wanted to test Dr. Banner's temper…he was still dealing with a lot of anger management. Steve turns to Bucky and lowers his voice.

"Loki Laufeyson? Thor's little brother? That's who that was?"

Bucky nods, making a face. "Yeah…apparently mommy and daddy got him back in school. Which is bullshit after what he did to-"

The speaker system crackles as it turns on, a man clearing his throat on the other end.

"This is Principle Fury-after the conclusion of this morning's announcements all eleventh grade students are required to attend a brief assembly in the auditorium. Thank you."

Steve turns to Bucky to ask him what he meant when Banner shushes them Hsighs, furrowing his brow and rolling his pencil up and down on his desk. The announcements were same as always, club meetings, another big win for the football team on Friday—which the class cheered for, everyone turning to give Steve a smile as he humbly waved them off, Steve becoming lost in thought. Why did it matter if Loki was back in school? He couldn't remember any big fight or dramatic expulsion other than the few spats he had with some of the boys in the bathrooms and locker room but those weren't technically Loki's fault—at least not that Steve had noticed or heard. He wasn't exactly in tune with social connections but he had Natasha, she usually knew what was going on.

"Alright, on your feet if you're eleventh grade and down to the auditorium," Dr. Banner directed them out the door. He clears his throat. "Storm, Osborne, don't you dare think of running off somewhere else, this assembly is mandatory."

The hallway fills with eleventh graders, teachers ushering them in the right direction, keeping them all in line. Steve loses track of Bucky somewhere in the crowd. He doesn't mind though, Bucky would find him later. Out of the corner of his eye Steve could see Darcy Lewis skipping past the rest of the students in the hall, ducking into the ladies' room. Steve blinks, furrowing his brow and waiting to see if anyone had noticed-

Clint Barton pushes through the people to walk beside him, Steve giving him a small smile. Barton nods a blunt greeting. "This is bullshit," Clint grumbles, scuffing his shoes on the floor. "Why the hell do we need to go to an assembly about that little rat being back in school-?"

"Loki being re-instated on the same day is meant to be a coincidence." Natasha slips through the other students as silent as a whisper to walk with them. "Principle Fury doesn't want there to be any violence, Clint. And don't go starting any fights with him—Thor will bash your skull in."

Clint rolls his eyes and opens his mouth to retort, Steve interrupting. "So what if he's back in school? He's not hurting anyone."

"Yet-"

Natasha smacks Barton in the back of the head, giving Steve a smile. "Thank you, Steve."

"Why do you smile at him? You always smile at him-"

"Maybe it's because you're so damn ugly, Barton." Bucky drapes his arm over Steve's shoulders, grinning. He gives Natasha a wink but she rolls her eyes and looks away.

"Shut up, Barnes! Natasha can't even look at you you're so ugly!"

"What are you talking about, Clint?" Steve grins. "She's looking away because I'm so damn awesome." They all laugh, Steve draping his arm over Bucky and letting him lead the four of them into the auditorium, laughing and punching each other. They slide into an aisle, Natasha leaving a seat open on the end. Clint pokes at her side and whispers into her ear until she jabs him with her hand just under his ribs, knocking the breath out of him and making him cough. Bucky laughs at the pair of them. Steve looks around. Nearly everyone from his grade was there, some of the football players chanting and laughing back and forth. All of the eleventh grade teachers were standing at the doors, Ms. Hill denying exit to a boy who looked as though his bladder were about to burst.

"Settle down, everyone."

The lights start to dim, everyone taking their seats. Pepper Potts slips in next to Natasha. She gives everyone a soft hello. A few students continue to whisper, teachers shushing them all throughout the auditorium. He scans his eyes over the rows again. No sign of Darcy Lewis. Or Thor. He hadn't thought about it but…he hadn't seen Thor yet today. Principle Fury clears his throat. Steve could feel everyone tense as Principle Fury takes his place at the podium, looking out over everyone.

"I would like to address some issues that have been brought to my attention-"

"Why is Laufeyson back in school? I thought he was expelled!"

Everyone begins talking at once. Steve slouches back in his seat and crosses his arms. He watches people stand and yell, teachers attempting to pull them back down in their seats; Clint jumps up and starts to chant with the rest of the crowd. They all seemed furious that Loki was allowed back in school. Natasha grabs Barton's ear, pulling him back into his seat and hissing something to him in Russian. Bucky laughs at them. He nudges Steve who returns the smile.

"QUIET!" Ms. Hill yells from the back of the auditorium. Her eyes narrowed in on the group of football players in the middle rows who were still jeering.

"Thank you, Ms. Hill. Now…Mr. Laufeyson has every right to be in this school and his re-instatement is the school board's concern but that is not why we are here," Fury pauses for effect, the students turning to one another. "I am concerned for the safety of my students and am addressing the eleventh grade especially because I will not tolerate bullying in my school. No fighting or harassment whatsoever—I will not tolerate it! Do I make myself clear?"

"You know, these rumors are getting a little out of hand." Loki glances at Darcy, barely paying her any mind. She peels a wrapper off a butterscotch, popping it into her mouth. "It's only been one class and they're saying you've killed a guy. I think this assembly's just going to make things worse."

Loki shrugs, blowing smoke out the bathroom window. He'd perched himself on a small shelf right by the small window. No smell, no evidence. It was something he lived by.

"Do you just not care?"

"No."

Darcy stares at him for a moment, letting out a laugh. "If you say so." She shifts the candy around with her tongue. "Just don't drag me into your little pool of lies, okay?"

"You do realize that no one really cares about the debate team, much less the captain?"

She snorts, shifting the candy to speak. "You're just jealous that I'm the only one who can possibly win an argument against you."

"Mmhmm."

"You're not even trying!" Darcy grins, poking his side. "Is someone grumpy because everyone's scared he's going to gut them-?"

"Are you captain of the debate team because you don't know when to shut up?"

Darcy scowls at him, punching him sharply in the arm. It didn't hurt but Loki still rubs away his wounded pride. "Hey, if you're going to be a dick-"

"No, I-" Loki sighs, flicking the cigarette out the window. He shuts it, hand lingering on the cool surface. "I don't want to be here." Darcy makes a face, pulling out another candy and holding it out to him. Loki looks up at the gesture, studying her face before taking the candy and giving her a small nod.

"Don't worry; they'll leave you alone soon enough. They're all mindless idiots, remember?" Loki gives her a small smile, hopping down from the shelf and offering her a cigarette. She shakes her head, shifting the candy around. "So skipping the assembly was fun, right? No angry glares at the back of your head and no awkward moments from Principle Fury?"

Loki snorts, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor, Darcy doing the same.

"You know this isn't going to be easy."

"I know." Darcy smiles, wrapping an arm around him and resting her head on his. "How bad could it be?"

Steve ground the end of his pencil between his teeth. It was the end of the day and the assembly only seemed to heighten the students' enthusiasm for gossip. Nobody really knew why Loki Laufeyson had dropped out, only Thor and a few of the administrators, but no one dare ask Thor. Not even Steve dared to ask Thor and they'd been best friends since middle school. But the way Steve figured it wasn't any of his business. He could remember a few times after a game when he'd stay at Thor's for the night, watching Loki stumble into the house with his eyes glazed over, Thor quickly to his feet to help him silently into his room. Those were always the mornings when Thor's mother—Frigga—looked as though she'd cried herself to sleep and yet she'd managed to cook a four course breakfast before 9am that Steve was always forced to eat. He wasn't a breakfast person but Frigga could make dirt taste good. There was no doubt that Loki was a mystery…but that's what intrigued Steve. He'd known Thor since middle school which meant that in a way he knew Loki too he'd just…never paid attention. Loki was quiet, he kept to himself, it was hard for Steve to notice someone like that even though he was exactly the same way. If it wasn't for football he'd be another face in the hall.

"Yo, Rogers, don't forget about practice today!"

He looks up and smiles, waving off some of his teammates as he puts in his locker combination. It was going to be a rough school year. Steve glances to his left, noticing the vulgar writing that had been painted on the locker door. He sighs, putting away his books and nearly jumping again as Loki appears next to him silently. Loki mumbles something under his breath, studying the door and reaching to put in his combination. Steve hesitates, one hand still holding a book in his locker and staring straight ahead, his shoulders tensing.

"I—I could help y-you with that…if you'd like," he pauses, making a face. "Cleaning off your locker, I mean…"

Loki stares at him for a moment, turning away to finish his business and shutting his locker. "No."

Steve watches as he walks towards a waiting Darcy, turning back to his own locker and cursing himself for sounding so stupid. He slams it shut, throwing his bag over his shoulder and making his way towards the entrance. Mr. Coulson gave him a small wave as he passed, going back to his conversation with Ms. Hill and Principle Fury.

"Mr. Rogers," the principle greets him with a stern nod. Steve smiles and greets him in response, continuing his way out the front doors.

Most of the students lingered in the parking lot, conversing with one another before making their way to homes or practices or jobs. Steve smiles at nearly everyone, waving as people say hello and grinning at Barton as he backflips off Natasha's car. They jostle one another before Steve pulls away and explains he doesn't want to be later. He tosses his bag into his truck, pulling out his football equipment when he receives a playful punch in his ribs, tossing his equipment down and head locking his attacker.

Bucky laughs, continuing to hit Steve in the ribs. "No fair, shrimp, you're supposed to be the submissive one!"

"Bucky, I haven't been the submissive one since sixth grade!"

Both laugh, wrestling with one another when without warning the parking lot goes silent. Bucky keeps jabbing Steve in the side until he releases him, watching as Loki and Darcy make their way through the rows of students and cars, Loki still holding his head high just like he had all day. He…looked so proud and confident…Steve couldn't understand it. Everyone was talking about him. Couldn't he hear them? Didn't he care?

The parking lot had fallen so quiet that it sounded as if Darcy were talking to everyone. "I just think it's pointless to have an English class…you know? We all speak English, we all already suck at English, and you're the only person I know who even reads…"

Darcy had her arm looped through Loki's, holding him protectively and watching the other students as they passed. Steve had to give her some credit too. She was guarding someone everyone for some reason already hated. She leads Loki to her car, throwing their bags in the trunk. The truck next to them had five or six football players, some of them starting to snicker and laugh amongst themselves. Harry Osborn whistles at Darcy. The cold stare she gave him made a chill run down Steve's spine.

"Hey, there, Lewis! Looking fine in that shirt…those your girls peeking out?"

"Eat a fat one, Osborn." Darcy turns her attention back to Loki and slowly closes the trunk. "Still…I don't understand why we have to take it."

"I'm fairly certain it's for the writing composition…you're going to have to write in college, Darcy."

A van pulling out of the parking lot honks its horn as it passes Darcy and Loki, Darcy turning with a grin to wave, calling out to them. "Hey, Jane, see you tomorrow!"

As Darcy turns to Loki again, two eggs are thrown.

The first hits Darcy's car.

The second hits Loki.

"Bullseye!"

Students begin to laugh. Steve looks around at everyone…they were all laughing. Even Clint and Bucky. Loki wrinkled his nose at the feeling of the yolk sliding down his face. Darcy scowls at the boys in the truck, hooting with laughter, and she pulls off her shirt and uses it to wipe the egg off Loki's face. He seemed to be stunned from the egg hitting him. Steve could feel a knot tightening in his stomach.

"Oh, shut up, you assholes!"

Harry Osborn grins at her, eyeing her exposed torso. "Nice bod, Lewis!"

Darcy gives them the finger as she leads Loki towards the car and opening the door for him to get in. She walks around the front of her car, climbing inside and starting it within a second, backing out and speeding her way through the parking lot, some of the students barely getting out of the way. The boys continue throwing eggs as Darcy's car speeds away, howling with laughter.

Steve stares after them, his hands shoved in his pockets while watching the whole ordeal. He takes note of the players in the truck, all still laughing amongst themselves, the noise in the lot starting up again as people start to get in their cars.

It was going to be a long year.