Hi, guys! This story will contain many side pairings (I'll try to update this intro when everything is established, for the ease of new readers), most of which will probably develop later on. The major arcs will definitely be PruCan, DenNor, and Spamano—so if you don't like those, don't be disappointed! Anyway, please enjoy this first chapter and let me know if you would like to see me continue!

The bell rang just as Gilbert Beilschmidt ducked into first period. He took an empty seat quickly, barely avoiding being marked late—that would be embarrassing, considering it was the very first day—and pulled out his notebook.

"You made it," Antonio whispered. The cheery-eyed Spaniard was sitting in the desk to Gilbert's right, and Gilbert grinned at his friend. "Hey, Toni. Been a while."

"So long," Antonio laughed back, well aware that they had grabbed frozen yogurt together the previous day. "Can't believe summer's over already."

"That makes two of us," Gilbert said. "Eleventh grade, though. Damn, we're old."

Antonio laughed again. "Sixteen. This is the age when we're supposed to be overthrowing dystopian governments, right? Starting rebellions? Rioting in the streets?"

"You're a riot," replied Gilbert with a sigh. For the first time, he looked around the classroom. Okay, it was Advanced Placement Psychology (which meant Gilbert actually had to pay attention), but it wasn't like there were a ton of options for distractions in the class. Sure, Antonio was in there, but Gilbert wasn't very close with anyone else. Maybe Elizaveta, but she was all the way on the other side of the room.

Gilbert groaned inwardly, marking his name in his textbook and pulling out a pen. Three cheers for yet another year of school, he thought, rolling his eyes and leaning his cheek on his hand.

"No, no, I promise you'll like this one!"

"Shut up."

"What does a nosy pepper do? Get jalapeño business!"

"Oh. My. God. Mathias, I swear, if you don't quit with these awful puns—"

"Awful? I think they're great!" Mathias Køhler pretended to sulk. "I get no respect around here."

Berwald rolled his eyes, taking a bite of his sandwich. Lukas shook his head in disgust. "Honestly, I don't know why I was kind of looking forward to this. I didn't miss you at all."

Mathias placed a hand on his heart. "Ouch! That's so mean, Lukas. C'mon. Berwald, you missed me, right?"

The Swede grunted. "Not really."

The three friends were eating lunch together in their usual spot from the previous year—on one of the picnic tables in the school's courtyard. The place was pretty overgrown with plants, and it was also in a more abandoned part of the school, meaning very few people ever came to it. Not that many students even knew of its existence, so it was a nice place to eat if you knew about it.

"So, how was your summer?" Berwald asked Mathias and Lukas.

"It was pretty good," Lukas said. "Went back to Norway with my family. Emil got sick halfway through, though. Miserable little kid. Mathias?"

"Went to the beach for the last week," Mathias chimed in. "It was pretty... sun-sational."

Berwald exhaled loudly, and Lukas shot Mathias a death glare. "Okay, Mathias. Okay. That's the last time we'll ever ask about your life."

Mathias just laughed his loud, obnoxious-yet-infectious laugh, his bright blue eyes sparkling. "Aw. Hey, Berwald, did you ever getcha some over the summer?"

"Excuse me?" Berwald snapped, twisting the cap off his water bottle and glaring at his fellow Scandinavian.

"I think he's talking about Tino," Lukas said. Mathias knew Lukas well enough to detect a hint of a smirk in the Norwegian's voice. They were both well aware of Berwald's feelings about Tino Väinämöinen, the blond Finnish kid in the grade below them. Just the mention of the name made Berwald's face flush slightly.

Berwald huffed, bailing himself out by taking a drink of water.

"What about you?" Mathias asked Lukas jokingly. To his immense surprise, Lukas said—with utter seriousness—"I did go for coffee a few times with someone..."

"Hmm?" Berwald raised an eyebrow in inquiry.

Lukas shrugged nonchalantly, opening up a bag of chips. "It's not too much of a big deal." And, with a hint of maddening mysteriousness, he added, "Maybe you'll find out more later."

"Wow! We've got a charmer over here," Mathias exclaimed, laughing and patting Lukas on the back. (A little too sharply, as Lukas coughed on a chip and glared at Mathias again.)

Though Mathias was not happy about it at all, deep, deep down, he felt a bitter emotion beginning to form inside of his chest.

Jealousy.

Last class of the day. Matthew Williams walked into the chemistry room, already tired but quite optimistic for the upcoming school year. His spirits lifted even more when he saw the lab tables. They usually sat two students per table, but tables had been pushed together in pairs so that there were four students per group, and Matthew's friend Arthur Kirkland was already waving him over.

"Hello," Arthur said as Matthew sat down next to him. "First day, huh?"

"Yup. I'm tired. You?"

Arthur tapped his empty coffee cup. "I was..."

Matthew laughed. "How was your summer?"

"Pretty good. I mean, it certainly could have been better, but... I'm not Francis, at least."

"Francis?" Matthew asked. "I didn't have any classes with him today. Did something happen?"

Arthur lowered his voice. "Jeanne broke up with him."

Matthew cringed. "Ouch. He must be really upset about that, because—"

"Hey, bastards. Is anyone sitting here?" A rough voice interrupted the conversation.

"Oh!" Matthew jumped, looking up to see Lovino Vargas pointing at the seat across from him. "No, go ahead." Matthew didn't know Lovino that well. He knew Lovino's brother was supposedly very nice, and Lovino was supposedly... not. Still, Matthew smiled gently, which earned him a grunt from Lovino. About fifteen seconds later, Kiku Honda approached the empty seat next to Lovino. "May I sit here?"

"Sure," the three said in unison.

The bell rang, and the teacher began his resolute no-talking-in-class spiel, earning a quiet "Good Lord" from Arthur and a few more snorts from Lovino. Matthew watched Arthur pull out a sheet of notebook paper, scribble something on it, and slip it onto Matthew's side of the desk.

This guy's already driving me crazy...

-Same, Matthew wrote back. Anyway, have you talked to Francis lately?

I had second period with him. He's crushed.

-That's really too bad. I'll try to call him this evening.

Yeah, he'd probably appreciate that.

Matthew frowned, pretending to listen to the teacher ramble as he and Arthur passed notes. Relationships seemed so painful! And they always ended messily. Why bother? Oh, well. Matthew knew he wouldn't be troubling himself with a relationship any time soon.