The school bustled with its usual buzzing activity, just another day. The tan brick walls are just as dull and soul sucking as ever and the few windows the school has are like empty holes peering into the outside world. Most people are too busy hurrying about with their busy lives, chumming it up with friends, walking speedily to classes, doing homework due within the next few minutes, or even simply standing there, dreading the rest of their existence in this drab and rather ordinary educational facility.
Now, veering away from this boring explanation of school life, which, most of you anyhow, probably already know plenty of, we shall venture over to one of its many students.
Be Karkat Vantas
Here you are ruing your day of all these imbeciles's creation as usual. You grumpily slam the door to your locker, your arms filled with all the usual crap you'll need for the next hour of your life. Textbook, some pencils, paper, the average materials one brings to history class.
As you walk through the halls, you catch snippets of idle chatter from your fellow students. Some talk of the weekend plans ahead, some of tests and other useless drabble. A very select few decide to change the topic to you as you walk by, muttering and giggling at the short angry guy with the fuzzy black hair. Lucky you don't give to shits about what any of them say. Though it does spark a glare onto your face as you stomp down another hall to the history wing of the school.
As you near the class, people have dissipated. You have very few classes you can say that you even slightly enjoy. This is one of them, not necessarily for the class itself, but for where it was. Very few other classes went on in this wing, especially at this hour, and with no lockers, very few other people were in this hall. It allows you to drop your scowl an eight of a degree and actually hear your own damn thoughts for a change.
As you pass by the one window this hall has, you can't help but peer out. There right outside laid the official school garden, filled with a mixture of flowers and weeds. You remember your freshman year, hearing tales of a now disbanded garden club that had taken care of it once upon a time. Now it simply looked like a wild patch of ill kept yard, the bushes scraggly and unkempt, the few trees overgrown and looming over everything else. To be honest it was rather fucking depressing.
You were just about to move and carry on with your day when something moves out there, not something like a breeze or bird. You see something out and swinging from the tree's leaves, barely visible underneath all the dark shadows of the greenery. Even from where you stood you could tell it was a shoe, and within that shoe, a foot, dangling and seemingly bodiless. You can't help but stare at this oddity. Perhaps it was your imagination? You quickly toss the thought out, your imagination, is sadly shriveled and tiny sitting in the back of the fucked up closet you call a mind in some long forgotten shoe box, ready to be thrown away after years of ill use.
Your eyes widen as a leg and soon a whole form drops like a rock out of the branches, clumsy and heavy like a rock. You almost swear you can hear the thud. At first, you think it may possibly be a dead body. With all the crazy bastards you've met at this school you wouldn't put stashing a body below the line of possibility. However, you are forced to watch as the person gets up and hastily brushes him or herself off, glancing around as if they were lost. That's when your eyes lock.
With all honesty you can't tell for the life of you what gender they could possibly be. They are short, quite possibly shorter then you, which, frankly, is in itself impressive. Perhaps they sat in a tight box as a child to stunt their growth? They wear a thick and large sweatshirt, making them appear lumpy and strangely shaped. Not to mention the jeans that flow out at the bottom, similar to bell-bottoms you supposed, met with the feet her first saw, bright green converse with mismatched socks.
Despite the glasses and their glare, he could still see the florescent green of this person's eyes. This person held his gaze for a moment before tugging at the beanie they wore and turning, fleeing into the school from the little door that led to the garden.
You stand staring when the bell rings. You curse aloud and rush to the classroom. Luckily, teacher could give to shits if you show up late or not and you are able to hustle to your little corner seat without even a second glance. The whole time you try to shove this stranger and their seizure worthy green eyes out of your skull. You even attempt to act like you give even a quarter of a damn as the teacher prattles about the founding fathers or something else you could care less for.
Even as the bell rings and you leave your seat, exiting the room with the rest of the small group that makes up the class, those eyes stick to the inside of your eyelids like they're painted or rather tattooed there. You sigh as you slam your locker shut, ready to head to what this place considered lunch.
As you turn, you are met cheerfully by the small group of psychos you consider companions. Sollux Captor, pushing his stupid glasses up his long nose snickers, his lisp catching his s and o sounds. "Watch out everybody, KK seems to have his panties in a bunch once again."
Karkat throws him a scowl, gaining yet another snicker from the lanky beanpole. This was when John Eggbert jumped up and slung his arm over his short friends shoulder. With his usual dopey grin and crazy teeth he asked, "So what's on your mind Karkat? I can't pull pranks with you in a hiss fit now can I? Well I suppose I could, but it wouldn't be nearly as fulfilling."
You quickly shove away from him with a roll of your eyes and a vehement sigh. This is returned with a few laughs and headshakes from the rest of your friends. 'The rest of your friends' includes various other people, some of which you don't even consider friends and their presence with this group or near you is still a mystery.
Kanaya Maryam was by far one of your 'friends' who piss you off the least. Motherly and proper, with underlying sass and style that could be sniffed out from a mile away. You couldn't even count the times you screwed up royally, or the fights you got into where she swooped in and with a few words and an ice pack to help. Then she would scoot you into the passenger seat of her little green car and they would go to her house where you would receive both a gentle lecture and slightly harsh jokes about almost anything and everything. She's stuck by you through thick and thin and for that you have to admit, you are grateful.
Also in your little group are Sollux and John. These two had been your friends since kindergarten, though sometimes you highly doubt the usage of the word friend. They loved to attempt to make your already miserable existence even worse.
Then there was Gamzee Makara, who was missing from the group today, most likely high somewhere. He was the friend you constantly worried for. In middle school he'd been such a good kid, amazing. He'd been friendly and idiotically naive. He would never have hurt a fly. Then someday, he changed, and it wasn't for the better.
Next were Terezi and Dave Strider. Though you rarely say it out loud, Terezi had been the middle school and elementary school love of your life. For some of elementary school she had felt the same. However, she apparently got tired of your bullshit and decided to share Oreos at lunch with a cooler kid, hiding his snarky attitude behind a pair of cheep sunglasses. Other then his façade of being too cool for just about anything, there wasn't really much to Strider.
Last but not least was Kanaya's lady friend Rose Leland. You actually didn't mind Rose all that much. She often reminded you of Kanaya in some ways. They were more often then none a pair, and everyone had gotten used to that years ago.
Now that the Avengers were all assembled and giggling at the apparent hiss fit party you were having, it was time to go to lunch. Despite John and Sollux in your ear, Terezi's cackling, and Kanaya and Rose's subtle comments, those green eyes still lingered in the back of your head.
Be Jade Harley
You sat in the window; well aware that the lunch bell had rang. You tug once again at the beanie you have on your head. You hadn't worn it at first, but when you curled up in the tree it made a softer pillow then just your hair. After that it was just too comfy to take off, and since no teachers had made any comments, you figured 'Why not?' You had also tucked all your hair up into it. It kept it out of your face and way for the most part, at least it didn't get stuck in lockers. You only learn that lesson once.
You stick your hands into the pockets of your jacket and look out the window, humming to yourself. Your mind slides to the guy you saw earlier through he window. He'd been short, slouched, and looked like something had crawled up in his pants and bit him.
You'd stumbled upon the little garden earlier and decided to come back later. So, skipping your class for third period, you went. You were new and figured no one would notice you gone. Then you made your venture out into the little space. You were horrified at how terribly it was kept! Weeds everywhere! You would never let your plants live in such conditions! Or anything for that matter. If she had even tried to take such little care of Bec he would have none of it.
You picked a few weeds before clambering up into the tree. Back in your old home, surrounded by miles of woods and wildlife, you had perfected the climbing of trees. Though, you did seem a bit rusty.
That's when the hair went up. You didn't have anything to tie it up with, so instead you stuck it up the hat and laid your head down on a branch. Enjoying the cool of the shade and breeze. The next thing you knew you were waking up, half falling, and half jumping from the tree. Once you got up, you noticed him.
He had circles under his eyes and was crazy pale in comparison to you. Then again, you were outside all day all the time back home, giving you plenty of time to grow caramel colored in the sun. Not to mention his fuzzy black hair, sticking up at weird angles. You had a lot of fuzzy hair but that didn't mean you had to let it run wild! You didn't even realize the fact that you were being a hypocrite and did the same constantly. Then you just sort of stared at each other, your green eyes meeting his dark, maybe brown ones. That's when you realized you were going to be late and ran like the wind to get to class.
Now you sort of look back on it, wondering if you'll ever see your window-stranger again in the mess of high school. You shoot up, remembering you promised to meet people for lunch. Despite the fact you're new to the school, you have a few friends here.
One of them is your half brother, John. A lover of pranks and Nicolas Cage, you had come to live with him after Grandpa died. He lived with his dad, who worked pretty often but loved to bake. Lucky for you he let you keep Bec. You had no idea what you would have done without him.
Then there was one of your favorite girls ever, Rose Leland. John had introduced you to her vie chat and you had hit it off. Rose was funny and always willing to give advice and listen to problems. You always tell her she would make a great therapist.
Lastly was one of John's best friends ever. They'd been pals since she could remember. When you were all little, before you could use a computer, you and John sent letters back and forth. One day though, there were two letters in the envelope. You opened them to find that one was from John and the other from Dave Strider. He had questioned John about the mysterious sister, doubting her existence, and John had told him to write her a letter and see if she responded then he'd believe her. From then on you all were a trio, until Rose came into the picture of course.
You hadn't visited them in ages and were happy to get to finally see all of them. John was the only one that knew she was here, you had kept it a secret surprise and so had he. Lunch was supposed to be your big reveal.
With a hop in your step, you sprung from your perch, rushing down the stairs and halls to the cafeteria. You didn't even notice your beanie fly off as you excitedly jumped into the lunch line, a dumb smile on your face.
Be Karkat Vantas
You sit at your usual table with everyone, picking and poking at the mush you had for food today. You glance up at John who has been looking around the cafeteria ever since you sat down. You quickly find your need to ask him what the hell his major malfunction is. He responds with a dopey smile and shake of his head.
You roll your eyes, returning to poking the slop in front of you. You weren't even sure what it was or why you'd grabbed it. You weren't hungry anyway. Kanaya smiles and inquires as to if you were ever informed of how one was not to play with their food. You grumble some sort of incoherent response.
The table is buzzing, everyone in their own little world. When suddenly, you hear an unfamiliar voice say, "SURPRISE!"
The voice is loud and a bit nasal, sounding more like a kid with some sort of disease then a high school student. Your head whips up with everyone else's. You try not to let your jaw scrape the floor.
There's your mystery person. There are those green eyes right behind those stupid looking round glasses with the thick black frames. You suddenly realize that without the beanie, black hair spills down her back and shoulders. You can also tell that this person is most defiantly a female.
She has a wide, buck-toothed grin on her face and she's lit up like a Christmas tree. That's when you notice Dave, Rose and John all standing and wrapping their arms around this stranger with laughs and bro fists galore. You try to shut your gaping mouth as John turns and smiles at the rest of the table. "Guys, I'd like to introduce you to my sister, Jade Harley."
Questions are immediately thrown as she sits between John and Dave, Rose nearby. You are informed that she is actually his half sister. She has recreantly moved to live with him due to family things. She has a large white dog named Bec. You also discover that she has an attitude that is far perkier then you prefer. Especially when she starts talking to Dave or Rose. Almost immediately she fits in, not even noticing you.
That is until, midway through one of her sentences, she happens to glance your way and falter, her eyes growing wide. After which John offers to introduce the group to her. He goes around the table, naming off people and she smiles happily at each, her eyes sometimes glancing at his. Then finally John said his name and there was an awkward silence that followed.
She finally broke it by sputtering out a hello, and a bit of a strange look, her expression somewhere between intrigue and surprise. You respond with a quick snap of a hello and a grumbled comment on deformed teeth being a family trait. John quickly informs her of your 'attitude problem' before things settle back down to almost normal.
You notice her catching glances your way, mainly because you do the same. She was still wearing that baggy sweater which made her look like a lumpy piece of school meatloaf. However, she had tiny hands, seemingly sparked with spastic energy. They flailed and whirled as she spoke and laughed.
After lunch when the group said their goodbyes and wandered off the their separate classes, you bumped right into her. She apologized and threw a hello your way. You gave her another fumbled response. However, this time, she seemed to have none of it. She crossed her arms and gave you a look, her green eyes flashing. "I honestly have no idea what your problem is! Excuse me for wanting to be polite!"
You quickly retort, almost tempted to cross your own arms as a sign of seriousness. "Perhaps, Harley, I just don't give a fuck about how polite you're trying to be and want to move on with my day rather then prattle on in a false sense of friendliness? Maybe you're my damn problem!"
Instead of backing down like most did when you got like this, she took a few steps, slow and deliberate, right into your personal bubble. You were just about the same height, but the sparks in her green eyes made her seem taller. "I refuse to fight with you Karkat. I didn't do a damn thing and you know it!"
"Maybe it's not something you did. Maybe it's just you and that over-active ADD you've got goin for you. What if simply your existence pisses me off?" you spit back.
"Well then I have no idea how to possibly help you. I tried to be nice, maybe to talk to you, John tells me so much about you all. Although I never would have guessed you were this much of a rude fuckass! Have a nice day Karkat!"
Taking the last word, green eyes like two bright emergency warning lights, she spun around on her heels, walking with a rather quick pace away from you, her black hair whipping like the angry tail twitching tail of a cat. That's when John laughed and came up behind you, clapping his hand on your shoulder. You could of sworn he'd left.
"Man Karkat, I don't think I've ever seen Jade get that mad at somebody in a long time! Or maybe ever!" he gave a snort. "Be careful though, Jade's sweet really she is, but man when she's mad it's almost worse then a hurricane! Scary stuff!"
The two of you proceed to walk to class, and then finish your day as normal. You even walk home as usual, blank and slouching. You walk into your little apartment you share with your dad and flop onto your bed, previously making sure your door was locked so you could get some sleep. It's then, in the dark of your room, as you close your eyes that she's there, hair whipping, eyes bright, and words quick and swift like a cobra.
You couldn't help the little bit of something that seemed to just sit on top of your angry words from earlier as they rang back in your head. Was it respect maybe? For actually putting up a fight rather then just running away. You weren't sure. You tried to ignore it and just go to bed, preparing for another repeat of the ordinary tomorrow. However, you spend the next half hour, trying to pry her face from your head and even fall asleep with her image still burned into your brain.
What the fuck is wrong with you?
