I could tell you some things here while I have the time. Right off the bat, just get some big things off my shoulders. Warn you even, perhaps.
But I'm not going to do that... It would ruin the fun of reading this, wouldn't it?
In that case, my name is Karkat Vantas. I think we've met before... Yes, I know we've seen each other before, I just can't put my finger on when...
Nevermind, it'll come to me eventually. I guess you'd like me to start telling my story now, right? Okay, well... listen closely, won't you?
It's very long, and I'd rather not have to reiterate on experiences more than once.
Okay, I'm a high school student. Or was, rather. I went to this run down place; a public school. We all went there...

I can't find my damn Homeroom. This map must be old as fuck if it doesn't even have a stairwell marked! Oh, fuck this.
I crumple the paper and shove it in my pocket. I've been dragging my feet around the halls for at least an hour now. A few stragglers gaze confusedly at their maps, equally frustrated.
I sigh, leaning against a wall. Being a transfer sophomore sucks! I've been a transfer student my whole life though, so this isn't exactly a new thing. I'm taken care of by my brother, who constantly moves around the country due to his job. I don't even know what he does, but he's sure as hell stuck up about it.
"Hey, kid." A girl with red shades saunters towards me, her striped cane held in one hand almost like a weapon. Her short black hair is in a pony tail over her teal vest and black jeans. She grins, and a shiver runs down my spine. Behind her glasses her eyes are barely outlined, but I feel like they're seeing into my soul.
"Hey..." I reply warily.
"Are you lost?"
"Um..." I pause. "Yes."
"I can help. What's your room number?"
She proceeds to guide me straight to my homeroom. The teacher is very nice about my absence but it wouldn't matter either way. It's not like a even care about school.
The girl is gone the second I turn my back, and yet another shiver assaults me. Why does she creep me out so much?!
I take a seat at the back of the room. Not like this is supposed to say anything about me, but I am kind of antisocial. The teacher goes on about schedules and stupid shit like that until the bell rings. I quickly find my next class in order to avoid the girl. Science is first. I don't have anything against science directly but it's not my favorite subject. We're immediately paired with others for 'Lab Partners'. A ridiculously tall boy dressed in all black takes a seat beside me. He has this goofy look on his face like he's known me forever, and I inch away on my stool a bit. He sticks one big hand out.
"Hey bro. My name's Gamzee." He says with a lopsided smile. His voice is deep and I shake his hand, scowling at his obvious age advance on me.
"I'm Karkat."
"Cool. What's been goin' on with you my brother?" He says. "Havin' a good first day in the motherfuckin' hell hole?"
I raise my eyebrows at his remark. Maybe this guy isn't all bad... "Oh yeah, I've been having a fucking blast."
"Ha." He chuckles. "I can't wait to get out of here, you know? This place and all its stupid rules can burn."
I smirk at that. We continue to make small talk until the bell rings.
My next class is tech. It's not so much a class as it is an excuse to play video games, but it's still nothing but a waste of time. The teacher isn't even present when I arrive, so I just sit down at a monitor. The rest of the class files in.

I must not have seen him that day... In fact, he may have been absent for all I know, but... Sollux Captor was in that class. He was there, hiding somewhere in the crowds the whole time, yet I never once saw him.

3rd period math and 4th period social studies fly by. Now, whoever thought it was a good idea to put me in a class all the way on one end of the building and build the gym in the other is gonna get a good beating from me, that's for sure. I barely make it to the locker rooms before the bell rings, exhausted from running the whole way. Gamzee greets me at the door, his lopsided smile exactly the same as in first.
"Sup Karbro." He says. I nod to him, too out of breath to reply. As we dress out he finds one of his friends, a short boy named Tavros. I offer him a nod, which he returns. He's such a little thing... I bet the only reason he's not getting the shit beat out of him right now is because Gamzee seems to be pretty good buds with him.
We come into the gym and partake in a brief orientation before starting up a good game of dodgeball. I grab one red ball and stand in the center of the court, bored out of my mind, until someone finally gets the hint and gets me out. I sit on the bleachers for the remainder of the game and am the first to leave at the end of the class. Lunch is up next, and I sit quietly beside Gamzee and Tavros as they talk.
7th period is English. It's the end of the day, and at this point I've completely forgotten about my experience this morning. That is until I end up being assigned a seat right next to the girl.
"Hey." She says, her mouth parting in a huge smile. "I know you. You're that boy who was trying to skip class this morning."
"I was not skipping." I quickly correct her, cursing my brothers influence on my attitude. "I was lost. It's not my fault this school is impossible to navigate. It's the fucking labyrinth."
"Ha ha, you're funny. What's your name?" She laughs. I stare at her a moment before remembering the people here don't know to avoid me. Not to engage with the possessed transfer student.
"I'm Karkat Vantas. You?" I say with a frown. She smiles.
"I'm Terezi Pyrope. Nice to meet you."
"Yeah..." The bell rings and class begins. I can't help but notice the girl isn't paying attention. The way she assaulted me this morning and accused me of skipping made me think she's on the student council of something, but right now she's just staring straight ahead, hands folded atop unread and unmarked papers. Almost protesting the things she has to fill out.
About halfway through the class introduction I lean over and tap her shoulder.
"Yes?" She asks as if she'd been expecting me to ask her something the whole time. I pause.
"Uh, aren't you going to do your class work? Or are you just gonna sit there?" I ask hesitantly.
"You're so funny Karkat. Don't you know?" She leans towards me, closing almost all the remaining space. My cheeks heat up and I glance nervously around, but no one's paying attention to us in the back. She pulls down her shades and I see her red, glazed over irises. "I'm blind, silly!"
She returns to her neutral position, facing forward at her desk again as I straighten in mine. I guess that makes sense with the cane and all, but...
It's just so god damn erie!
The bell rings soon enough and I shrug on my bag, one of the last to leave the room. The halls empty out fast, people leaving to hang out with old friends. I find myself alone on the stairs out front, the sky arching gray overhead, about to storm.
Voices echo through the open doors behind me and I see Gamzee and Tavros come out. Gamzee, to my surprise, is wearing clown makeup. He laughs along with Tavros as they discuss something, taking a swig from a bottle of Red Pop. When he spots me he waves.
"Hey Karbro, we're just about to go out and get some motherfuckin' grub. Wanna come?"
I meet his dark eyes for a moment, my hands stuffed into my hoodie pockets.
"Yeah, sounds good to me." I say.

That was all long ago. Many months ago, when nothing had changed, nothing had happened to effect them. I was hardly even aware of what was coming then. I'm still not all that sure, but I know a lot more now.
Of course, what was to come would change everything.