All characters and Homestuck belong to Andrew Hussie.
Thursday afternoons are the worst; Karkat thought to himself as he stood high above his hometown. A thin gust of wind rushed past his face as he stared at the ground below. He now was beginning to regret how he didn't decide to bring a jacket with him, but the current temperature wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He made his trips to the roof of his high school at all points of the year, so he'd experienced much worse weather conditions. However, it was early March; not exactly a good time to be wearing just a sweatshirt outdoors, but he needed some time to think, and the roof was the just about the only place he could do so without disruption.
The roof was actually quite a serene place if you went there at the right time. Sure the typical frequenters of the place were the kids who just needed an out of sight spot to do only god knows what, but otherwise, it was the perfect sort of retreat for Karkat's chaotic and predictable life. It was like a solitary confinement without the crazy. It was consistent; a never changing concrete slab atop a large brick structure, occasionally dotted with a discarded cigarette butt or wad of gum. A perfect place to think.
As he paced across the grey landscape, folding his narrow arms across his frail frame in an attempt to preserve body heat, he thought. He didn't ponder too hard or anything; he just let his mind flow. Most of his thoughts began to consist of the past eighteen years of his life. Eighteen fucking years. That's too damn long to be trapped in this hell hole. He sorted through his memories, much like a stray animal picking through scraps in an attempt to salvage something decent. His thoughts came to his mother. Psycho bitch; he seethed in his mind. He loathed her. He really did. But it wasn't like she didn't deserve it. He remembered how icy and cold she was. A simple hug was not given out of love, but purely as obligation to keep you from developing even more hatred towards her. Her laughter or lack thereof was shallow and monotonous. She was monotonous as a matter of fact; a human only capable of outright cruelty. A human with only one concern; herself.
You're worthless. Why can't you do anything right? You little fuck up. Her words rang through his head like bells on a string; never quite ceasing and ringing at even the slightest push. You're the reason your father left. That one always rang the loudest. Those words scratched the deepest and stung the most intensely. How long has it been since he left… Karkat tried to recall a time when his father was still actively present in his life, but as his thoughts drifted more and more towards him, he quickly averted them. He wasn't about to walk on school grounds with bloodshot eyes and trembling breath.
He pulled out his dinosaur of a cell phone and glanced at the time. 1:56, I've got about 20 minutes. Placing his phone back into his pocket, he walked over to the edge and sat himself down, leaning against the two foot high wall. Whilst sitting, he tried something different. He tried thinking about the future for once, instead of the past. But in retrospect, the past was much less intimidating than the future. At least with the past, he knew exactly what to expect; with the future, not so much.
Soon enough, everyone would be graduating and heading off to their well paved lives that lie ahead. They'd become successful, they would be happy, yet Karkat knew he wouldn't be. He wasn't going to lie and convince himself that he would get accepted into any reputable school, for his GPA was about as low as they get. He was actually quite intelligent really; it was just that he had stopped trying long ago because he understood that no matter how well he did, he would never be able to escape what he had known for so long. He would always be Karkat Vantas. The child who's mother could've done without him. The child who's father hadn't been heard from in years. The child who couldn't amount to anything. The child who was always alone. The child who couldn't look at anyone without an intent scowl. The child who was weak. The child who was afraid. Who was miserable. Who was lost. Those were the constants of his life which occurred over and over again like a broken record playing the most melancholy of music; a hopeless serenade which bound him to his lonely existence.
His train of thought was abruptly interrupted by the sound of the bell ringing. Fuck. It's already 2:15. He hoisted himself up, flicking some of his auburn hair out from his eyes, and started for the door. Though the dimly lit stairwell he went, eventually slipping into the crowd of exiting adolescents. With his shoulders bent forward and his gaze firmly locked on direction he was going, he walked. He didn't once look up to see if anyone was waving at him or trying to catch his attention. Of course, who would be? He certainly didn't survive high school by having an entourage of companions. He opted for the more introverted approach; staying as under the radar as possible. He had maybe three acquaintances that he could use to keep up the façade of not being completely antisocial, but even then, he definitely wasn't considered someone you'd want to approach, let alone befriend.
As he continued walking out the double doors of his prison, he continued down the usual streets he took to get home, and tried not to think too much about what it was going to be like once he got home. His mother wouldn't be home most likely since she usually worked until four, so he'd have the next hour or so to himself. However as he rounded the corner, he noticed a silver Honda Civic parked in the driveway. Shit; he thought. She's home early. He hoped that she had been let out early or that she wasn't feeling well and decided to come home; but he knew better than to believe that.
AN: And that's the first chapter! So I'm not sure when chapter two will be uploaded, but I am hoping that I'll get it posted this weekend. This is my first fic ever so i apologize if its not all that great or if there are any typos.
Oh, and the reason I titled it Walk is I was listening to the Foo Fighters song while writing it and I couldn't think of a better title. XP