Alfred stared up at the massive brick building, his hands buried deep in his jean pockets. There were hundreds of young humans darting past him, all chattering aimlessly, not a single one even giving him a second look. He grinned slightly. For once, he was blending in perfectly…
His phone ringing suddenly tore through his thoughts. He jumped slightly and almost grabbed his dagger again before he stopped himself. Slowly, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled the phone out, clicking the green button. "Jeez, dude, you just about gave me a heart attack again," he laughed into the phone.
"Alfred-kun, why are you just standing and staring at the building?"
"Just makin' sure it's the right place!" He answered calmly. He glanced up at the sign suspended high on the wall of the building; Linguini High School*. He frowned ever so slightly. "But, uh, are you sure this is the right place?"
"Hai—I-I mean, yes, I am sure," Kiku replied quickly, and Alfred could faintly hear him shuffling some papers from wherever he was. "This is where supposedly the angel is hiding. I mean…well is suspected to be hiding. We really don't have any information on him, at all, so that is all we have to go on."
Alfred shrugged to himself. "Whatever. So I just go in and wreck some shit, stab the angel guy, and be done with it?"
"Well, you have to be more, um, subtle than that…" Kiku started anxiously.
"Dude, relax," Alfred told him, smirking as he started forward toward the entrance. "I won't get found out. No one will even notice me! I am the master of blending in."
"W-Well, there're a few people looking at you right now…"
Alfred blinked and glanced up. He could see a few people, girls, looking toward him. He gave them and impish grin and kept walking. "Dude, calm the Hell down," he insisted, sniggering slightly. "I'm just hot! Of course people are gonna stare at me!"
He could almost see Kiku facepalming. "But you're trying to blend in," he told him, "so please don't do anything too…too…attention-grabbing…"
Alfred laughed at him some more. "You worry too much, Kiku," he said, still grinning as he stepped into the building. "I have everything under control!" He thought for a second. "Oh, by the way, can you, like, see me from where you are or something?"
"Um, yes, I can. Just as long as you have the phone with you, I can at least see a little bit. Just please do not lose it …"
Alfred rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah whatever." He continued walking…
…
Arthur sat silently in the old, ripped chair that sat in the room just outside the principal's office, pretending to be asleep. It was uncomfortable as hell, but he was used to it after almost four years. He sat here much more often than in his own classrooms. Often you could peek into the offices and find him in the exact same position he was sitting in now: Head back, eyes closed, arms crossed, and a bitter scowl etched across his face.
He heard the door open. He cracked his eye open slightly, just enough to see someone pass by only a few feet away and stride up to the secretary's desk. "Um, 'scuse me?" A guy's voice said. "Um, hey, my name's Alfred F. Jones, I'm, uh, supposed to come here, right?"
Arthur shut his eye again. He definitely didn't recognize that name, or that voice. Probably a new student or something. Just some new meat. He smirked ever so slightly, but other than that didn't move as the kid continued talking.
"Okay, so I should just wait here? Right, cool!" He heard movement, then suddenly the kid plopped down next to him with a thump. Arthur scowled again, really hoping he wouldn't have to talk. Hopefully feigning sleep would be enough.
"Um, hey there!"
Or maybe not…
He heard the other turn toward him. "Name's Alfred F. Jones, what's yours?" He asked. There was an expectant pause, but Arthur didn't move so much as a muscle. Was this kid stupid? "Um, hello? Dude? Hey, man, come on, I know you're not asleep." A finger poked Arthur's face. He felt himself flinch slightly, but forced himself not to lash out at him. "Um, hello?" There was another long pause, and he heard this Alfred idiot fidgeting from next to him. Arthur refused to say anything, but he could feel his annoyance in the faint ache of his temples.
After a minute he heard Alfred bend over and grab something. Sounded like it could be some papers. Arthur sighed, relieved that the kid would stop bothering—
WHACK
Arthur screamed and pitched sideways out of the chair and onto the floor. He lay flat on his back, gasping slightly, staring up. Alfred leaned over the chair and grinned down at him, a rolled up newspaper clenched in his hands. Arthur sat up slowly. "What…the…?" He managed to gasp shakily.
"There was a caterpillar or something on your face," Alfred told him matter-of-factly. "Oh hey, I think it's still there. Shit." He swung the newspaper again.
Arthur yelped and caught the paper as it swung toward his eyebrows, glaring up at the kid as he yanked it away. "What the bloody hell is your problem?" He snapped.
"Oh hey, you're awake now. Hi, I'm Alfred!" Alfred held out his hand, grinning at Arthur as he clambered back onto his chair. Arthur glared at him, not completely sure whether he'd done that purposely or not. "And you are?"
"I am going to kill you," Arthur snapped at him hatefully, rubbing his arm. His wings throbbed slightly from where he had landed on them, and he wished he could stretch them out so desperately. He had to settle for stretching his arm.
Alfred just laughed slightly. "Right, kay, well, nice to meet ya'!"
Arthur scowled again, glaring back at the kid. Well, maybe he shouldn't use the word kid. The guy was clearly several inches taller than the angel, and more muscular too. He looked about seventeen, which was how old Arthur's body was. Although there definitely was a childish, mischievous look about his blue eyes that made Arthur feel as though he was younger. Maybe he was a junior.
Arthur turned away again and leaned his head back against the wall behind him, crossing his arms. Even if Alfred knew he was awake, he could at least rest his tired eyes. That idiotic git, Francis, just had to call at one in the morning. He barely slept the rest of the night.
He wondered what he was in the office for this time. Normally he was called down while he was doing something wrong, such as setting the Home Ec. classroom on fire, or punching someone. More often punching someone. The school had a strict no-violence policy. (They also had a strict no-bullying policy, but it seemed much less pertinent to enforce that on a regular basis.)
But this time they just pulled him aside and told him to wait for almost fifteen minutes. He only vaguely wondered why, because quite honestly, he couldn't care less. Maybe they were finally going to expel him. And he could finally leave this pathetic city. Maybe get a different cover.
Or maybe be let back into heaven.
He snorted slightly at that last thought. Like that was ever going to happen. They'd sooner let the Devil into heaven before they allowed Arthur Kirkland within ten feet. They already let Francis back in before him (God only knows why, the angel was a perverse frog with a libido twice as big as his ego).
"What's so funny?"
Arthur glanced at Alfred, who seemed puzzled by Arthur's faint smirk. "Oh, I was just thinking how wonderful it would be if they finally expelled me," he replied.
"Oh, well, okay, good luck!" Alfred told him with another grin.
Arthur's smirk faded to a scowl. "Um…right."
"Arthur Kirkland?"
Arthur glanced up, to see the secretary motioning for him to go into the principal's office. He sighed and stood up, rubbing at his tired eyes as he did so. "Well, that is my cue," he murmured. He strode away, hoping deep down that he and Alfred would never run into each other again.
Walking into the room used to make him feel apprehensive, but after years of the same routine, he'd gotten used to coming and going constantly. Now he just strode calmly in and sat down in his seat.
He was only half listening when the principal began her speech. It was the same one he'd gotten a million times, about how colleges wouldn't let him in with such a bad permanent record and some more stuff like that (really, it wasn't like he was going to college, he already knew what he was doing the rest of his miserable life).
She also started on some sort of long tangent about how he had no extracurricular activities (as if he had time for those) and some more about how he was 'an intelligent young man' but needed more credit to even graduate this year (by this point he'd started staring out the grimy window at the street below).
And then there was something she said that he heard much too clearly: "…so I signed you up for an extra credit program—"
"Excuse me?" He interrupted suddenly, sitting straight up. That certainly caught his attention. "You did what exactly?"
She glared at him. He shut his mouth quickly, sinking back down in the chair. His eyes followed her as she strode past him and toward the doorway. "Alfred Jones?" She called, and Arthur felt the blood drain from his face. Oh for the love of…
Alfred strode in, looking around and seeing Arthur. He looked like he was about to say something, before the principal grabbed his shoulder and turned. "This is Alfred," she told a horrified-looking Arthur. "He is a new student. He used to be homeschooled. You are going to be he mentor, help him find his classes, help him study, and help him with anything else he needs. If he starts failing, or complains to me about anything…" She finished with a glare that clearly said, 'there will be hell to pay.'
Arthur stared at her for a second. Then at Alfred. Then he shut his eyes and groaned.
*Ha ha totally pulled that outta my ass. Sorry for the terrible school name. It's an inside joke and I promised I would call it that. And I couldn't think of a legitimate high school name to use. If I think of one I will edit this. (And Jamie, you're welcome.)
I think if there was a test on first impressions, Alfred would fail. With flying colors. An F-. But fortunately school hasn't started.
Gonna put a ton more characters in next chapter. Hopefully I'll think of a better title too.
Thanks for the comments I've been getting so far! I love getting them. And I'm glad people like the story so far. :)
