AN: Because every fandom needs a high school AU.

"Do you know why you are here, York?" the Counselor asked. His hands were folded in front of him, and although his tone was level York could hear the exasperation in his voice.

"Not really," he admitted. "I actually didn't do anything this time." He shrugged and settled back in his seat, trying to get comfortable in the hard chair.

The Counselor sighed. "You are failing your math class," he admonished. "Must I really remind you that your GPA must stay above a certain level for you to remain on the football team?"

York wasn't phased. "I can get my grade back up, sir, no problem. It'll be back to perfect before the semester's over."

A frown creased the Counselor's normally blank face. "I'm afraid that that isn't an acceptable answer."

York sat up, sputtering in indignation. "What do you mean, not an acceptable answer? That was what you told me to do last time this happened, and I did it!"

A corner of the Counselor's mouth twitched even further downwards. "That plan of action will no longer suffice." He held up a hand to prevent another outburst. "Which does not mean that there is nothing you can do."

"What can I do, then?" York demanded.

The Counselor's frown smoothed out until his face was once again passive. "If you wish to remain on the team, then you must agree to join the after school tutoring program. This will ensure that you receive any supplemental help you may need, and prevent another dip in your grades."

"And that's my only option?" York frowned when he saw the look on the Counselor's face. 'Looks like it is. Whoop de doo!'

'C'mon, York, tutoring isn't gonna be so bad,' he tried to convince himself. York scowled. 'Aw, who am I kidding? A whole hour of my time, wasted on this bullshit. I don't need tutoring! Just because my grades are shit doesn't mean I don't get what's going on in class.'

He pulled open the door to the library with a resigned sigh. 'This is gonna suck.' The Counselor hadn't even given him all that much information to go off of on how to find his tutor. All he knew was that his name was Delta, and that they would be meeting in the library. 'Maybe I'm just so popular Delta will know me on sight,' he thought to himself, only half joking. Like all classic American high schools, Blood Gulch High's football team was the school's pride and joy-the only thing it hadn't fucked up. It was hard to find someone who didn't know who was on the football team.

York scanned the library's occupants, but none of them seemed to be waiting for anybody. 'Maybe I'm early? Might as well ask around to see of anyone here knows this "Delta."' His eyes lit upon a boy with honey brown hair and brilliantly green eyes. Judging by the slim book he was reading, he wasn't just there to cram for a test-a frequent visitor of the library. 'Perfect.'

York slipped into the empty seat across from him. "Hey there," he greeted him, grinning.

"Please keep your voice down, this is a library," the boy replied, without even looking up. He marked his place with a bookmark before he bothered looking up to see who he was talking to. "Your unfamiliarity with the rules of the library coupled with the fact that you are approaching me despite us being complete strangers leads me to the conclusion that you are York, my newest student."

"Yes," York said slowly. "That is me." 'Is this seriously how this guy talks? I think I might actually have to kill myself. At least he's hot. It can't be that bad, right?'

Delta frowned at him. "You are five minutes late," he chided, brushing aside pleasantries and other conversational topics. "The next time that happens I will extend our time together for ten minutes."

'I take that back.'

"Dude, where were you yesterday?" Washington asked.

York was back where he belonged-football practice. He grimaced at the reminder of how horrible the day before had been. "Had to go to tutoring."

"Tutoring?" Wash gave him the look of ultimate disapproval. "You're not failing anything, are you?"

Considering that Washington was only a sophomore (with an unhealthy obsession with High School Musical to boot), York felt dumb to be on the receiving end of such a look. It should be York staring him down, not the other way around.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to raise your grades," North argued.

"Of course you would say that," Wyoming sniffed. He brushed his fingers over the dead rat on his face he called a mustache. "Not all of us are honor students like you, North."

York couldn't help but snort at Wyoming's response. "You're one to talk! We've listened to you talk about your dream colleges-" York wiggled his fingers to accompany the ridiculous phrase, "-too many times."

"Athlete's scholarship, my dear boy," Wyoming sniffed. "I only need a 3.5 GPA and everything is down pat."

York rolled his eyes. "Whatever. 3.5's overrated," he declared. "The Counselor is just overreacting."

"York, you don't mean to say that your grades have dropped below the requirement again!" Wyoming gasped in mock horror. He scoffed and sneered. "I'd be careful. You know, of course, what happened to Georgia."

Washington frowned. "What happened to Georgia?"

Wyoming laughed and walked away, continuing practice.

"Hey, c'mon! What happened to Georgia?" Washington protested.

North sighed. "You don't wanna know, kid," he said solemnly, and joined Wyoming.

Washington's face was pale when he turned to York. "S-Seriously," he stammered, "what happened to Georgia?"

Delta, as York was quick to find out, was quite the stickler for rules. He insisted that York's phone actually be off in the library-silent mode didn't cut it, apparently. He didn't quite approve of York's rather…mercenary tendencies, or his cavalier treatment of rules.

Still, as often as they clashed, they were stuck together, for who knew how long. York wandered through the school, looking for brown hair and green eyes. 'I mean, we might as well get to know each other, right? And maybe we might as well end up in some form of…mutually beneficial sexual relationship, right? He's hot, even if he never stops talking. I'm sure we could figure something out. Maybe I could get him to stop talking if I—there he is!'

"Yo, D!" he called, trying to get his attention. Delta ignored him, walking along as if he hadn't heard.

'Well…maybe he didn't hear,' York thought, although he doubted it. He tried again, and this time people whose names probably didn't have a D anywhere in them turned to give him curious looks.

But not Delta.

York frowned and finally managed to get close enough to grab his arm. "Hey, D, wait up."

Delta turned to face York properly, looking surprised. "York. I did not realize you were attempting to gain my attention. Did you require my assistance?"

"What?" York was surprised at how blunt and to the point he was, but he supposed he should have expected it. "Well-no."

"Oh." Delta blinked slowly, as though he were taking time to process York's response. "Then what is the purpose of this conversation?" Delta's tone wasn't harsh or dismissive, but it still made York feel like a huge idiot.

'The purpose of this conversation? Seriously? Has this guy never heard of casual conversation?' "I just…" York tried to think of something that wouldn't sound creepy or dumb in response. 'Fuck, what the hell am I supposed to say?' "I forgot," he finally said. "Sorry for wasting your time, D."

'Apparently it's not allowed to make friends with your torturers,' York sulked as he walked off. 'This really is gonna suck.'

"Who was that?"

"Who was who?" Delta asked. Theta had appeared shortly after York left, and while he doubted that Theta could be talking about anyone else, he would much rather not talk about his newest student. Students like York who were forced into the tutoring program were often lackluster and gave no effort-all in all, a huge waste of everyone's time.

"The blonde guy," Theta prompted. "Isn't he on the football team?"

Delta resisted the urge to sigh. "Yes. His name is York. The Counselor has decided that his grades need remedying and assigned him to me."

"Oh. What did he want?"

"I do not know. He did not have anything to ask me, and left almost as soon as the conversation began."

Theta frowned thoughtfully. "He could have just wanted to talk to you," he suggested.

"About what?" Delta asked incredulously. "We have none of the same friends, classes, or interests. We do not occupy the same social stratum. For what reason could he possibly have to want to converse with me?"

"Do you know for sure you have none of the same interests?" Theta nudged his arm. "He could have wanted just wanted to get to know you better!" He broke out into a wide grin. "Maybe you could get him to join the Science Olympiad team! I bet people'd stop picking on us then."

Delta scoffed. "That is highly improbable, Theta. From his grades and manner, it is clear that he does not care for science." 'Not to mention, York would most likely also end up a victim of our harassment, as opposed to the other way around.' "In any case, I do not think it probable that he wishes for any sort of prolonged contact with me. I have been informed by many sources that I am not interesting company."

Theta sighed and tsked, shaking his head. "See, with that kind of mentality, it's no wonder he left so quick! I betcha he really did wanna be friends with you, but you scared him off."

Delta grinned at the absurdity. "Think what you will."

"Why couldn't you be my tutor?" York whined to North. "Delta may be hot but he hates my guts."

North chuckled at the melodrama. "Not everyone who makes you do work hates you, York."

"It's not just that! I tried talking to him, but he'd have none of it." York pouted and crossed his arms. "He asked what 'the purpose of the conversation' was. The purpose of the conversation, North!" York shook his head. "Like, could you be any harsher?"

North only grinned. "How long are you stuck with him?"

"The rest of the year, probably," York moaned.

North laughed out loud. "Well, it sucks to be you!"

"Well you know what, fuck you too."

'If tutoring can't be fun, at least I can make sure it's not a hassle,' York decided. He listened when Delta spoke, did his stupid homework, studied for his stupider tests. He didn't pick fights with Delta, had his phone turned off in the library, came on time and left promptly. For all his trouble, York's grade rose, and he spent no more than the requisite time with Delta. Tutoring was shit, but at least the shit was contained to one hour a day. York never had to think about Delta outside tutoring, and that suited him just fine.

Until one day, Delta didn't show up.