OH GOD! TO THAT ONE PERSON WHO FOLLOWED THIS STORY I LOVE YOU AND I WROTE THIS CHAPTER BECAUSE I LOVE YOU.

Lights Out

Chapter Two

The bus was hot, even though it was a fall morning. Jean had a fairly early stop on the route and therefore got to pick his seat. He hated having to share bus seats, so of course he had picked the single seat in the very back. He plopped down on the dirty brown fake leather and tugged his head phones from a side pocket on his bag. Popping the ear buds into his ears, he hit play, allowing the noise to drown out the roar of the bus engine.

Jean had a habit of ignoring everyone on the bus. No one important ever rode the bus to school, at least not anyone that was a junior or better. Most people had friends that they could guilt into coming to pick them up in the morning if they did not have wheels of their own. No one this year was older than sixteen. He was less than interested and refused to waste his time acknowledging their existence. Just as the heavy drums of the Foo Fighter's Everlong started up Jean noticed that the bus was slowing in a different spot than normal. He looked up from tracing the graffiti with his fingers on the back of the seat in front of him just in time to see a smiling dark haired boy climb the stairs. Jean had never seen him before. A smattering of freckles covered his checks and he was wearing a white jacket with an odd logo on it. It looked like a shield with two blunt swords crossed over the front.

Suddenly, Jean felt his stomach hit the floor. The boy had caught his gaze and given him a friendly smile. It was true enough that Jean was not used that kind of greeting from anyone, but that wasn't what had his stomach trying to do a series of back flips. As the boy came closer, Jean felt his toes curling up in the tips of his shoes and allowed himself to attempt to slowly sink into the corner.

Of course the boy would sit in the back. Of. Fucking. Course.

The boy's mouth moved, and Jean blinked at him in confusion. "What?" He said lifting his eyebrows. It looked like the other boy chuckled and he pointed to his ears, a simple smile on his lips. Jean cocked his head to the side slightly trying to understand. Slowly, his lifted his hand up to his ear. Sudden realization rushed through him and he broke eye contact with the boy across the aisle for the first time since he had gotten on the bus. He gave the cords to his earphones a tug and they fell into his lap. "S-Sorry." He stuttered after a moment, feeling the warmth in his face as it flushed bright red.

This was why he hated meeting people. He always did stupid shit. Always. Way to go Jean, you idiot. Make a horse's ass of yourself. Good job.

A throaty chuckle came from the seat next to his, but now that he had pulled his eyes away from the other boy's he could not manage to make himself look back. "It's alright. I forget about that, too." There was an odd moment of silence where Jean wished he could disappear right then and there. "Um, sorry, I'm new here. My family had an unexpected move and I just transferred to your school. Today is my first day." The boy sounded nervous, but not unpleasant. In fact, he came off as really friendly.

Jean forced his eyes back over in the the dark haired boy's direction and again felt his stomach flip flopping about. The boy had pushed back his black hair, which was parted down the center, and was giving him the perfect view of honey brown eyes. They were warm, inviting, and had a rather distinctive flecked pattern around the iris. Jean would know those eyes anywhere, but how had this kid managed to wind up in his dreams? Well, his eyes at least. Another wave of heat washed across his face.

"My name is Marco."

"Uh- ah, um.." Jean fidgeted grasping for words. For fuck's sake, Kirschtein! Get it together! It took him another moment before he realized Marco had extended his hand across the aisle. He took it and gave it a firm shake before forcing himself to look up. "I'm Jean. Nice to meet you, Marco."

"My pleasure, really!" The boy sounded delighted and it was infectious. Jean could not help but grin at the other boy's audible smile. "So, what grade are you in? You look like you might be a senior, too."

Jean nodded as he wound the cable for his headphones around his iPod to keep it all together, not to mention he would have an excuse not to make eye contact with Marco for a while.

"Oh, great! Maybe we will have class together! That would be nice, don't you think?"

It would be the most distracting thing to ever happen to me. Not to mention I am nearly failing all of my classes as is.

Jean nodded again and Marco laughed. It was rich and genuine. Not the kind of laugh that meant he was making fun of Jean. He could tell right away that Marco was not that kind of person. His smile was earnest and made those damnable intoxicating eyes crinkle at the corners. Jean felt his heart clench.

"You don't talk much, do you, Jean?" He said, settling into his seat and pulling his bag onto his lap. "My friends at my old school used to tell me I talk to much." Suddenly, worry infected every part of the dark haired boy's face. "Oh, but you will tell me if I talk too much, right?"

Jean chanced another look and regretted it instantly. The obviously concern on Marco's face made him lean closer to the boy. "It's fine. You can talk as much as you want." It was quiet and Jean surprised himself with the softness in his tone. "Um- I mean, I'm not your babysitter or anything. I don't care if you ramble. I could always just put my headphones back on or something, you know..." It was a lame cover, and he knew it all came tumbling out at once, but it seemed to do the trick.

The smile was back on Marco's face and Jean had to turn away yet again. For the rest of the bus ride, which was not long, Marco asked Jean about his schedule. Several quick peeks at Marco's neat print in his planner and they surmised that they would have lunch together, and math in sixth period. The bus pulled up to the ramp as Marco set his planner back into his bag, which seemed to actually be organized. Jean's never stayed that way for more than an hour.

"Well then, if you don't mind, I will find you at lunch."

"Yeah. Have a good day, Marco." Jean said, standing as the bus came to a stop and sliding into the aisle. Unfortunately, the kid two rows in front of them had left his bag sticking out in the path a little too far. Everything happened so fast. One minute he was upright and walking towards the door, the next pain was radiating from his face. His vision swam as he felt himself being tugged into a sitting position.

"He's bleeding! His nose is bleeding!" It sounded far away and Jean wasn't sure but he thought it was Marco. He felt warmth on his cheek then pressure on his chest and arms. "I will take him to the nurse- erm... Where is the nurse?" Someone looped his arm over their neck as they pulled his bag off of his arm. He groaned once on his feet and let his head swing in the direction of the foggy form who held him up.

"Hold on just a little while, Jean, we are taking you to the nurse." The awkward shuffling to the front of the bus was the worst, just after Marco nearly having to carry him down the fucking steps. It was a good thing that he was delirious with the pain or he would have been embarrassed, well, more embarrassed. Honestly, as they walked down the hall towards the nurses office, all Jean could think about was that Marco was warm until somewhere in the back of his cotton stuffed head he heard himself remark on how toned his arms were.

"Not much longer, I see the office. Jesus, Jean, are you really going to be okay? How can you smile with that much blood on your face?"

Jean could hardly make his eyes open far enough to see the look of worry on the taller boy's face. Reaching up, Jean tapped the slightly upturned freckled nose in front of his bloody face before letting out a little hiccup of a giggle that sounded more like a garbled grunt. Then the world suddenly went dark.