Alfred's POV

I'm having this kickass dream about being a pilot of a flying hamburger in World War Two when all of a sudden I experience some serious turbulence. I shake it off and manage to land in the midst of a cheering crowd, their cheers ringing in my ears.

Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, ALFRED F. JONES, our new war hero! The cheering multiplies and I flash the crowd my biggest, brightest smile.

Alfred! Alfred!

Alfred! I love you! Will you marry me?

However, the voice of God cuts through the cheering.

"Alfred! Alfred F. Jones WAKE UP THIS INSTANT! IT'S 6:30! YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR SCHOOL!"

School? Wait, what?

School! OHMAHGAWD I'M GOING TO BE LATE. I wake up with a start and fling myself off the bed. Liz is standing by the bed with a frazzled expression on her face.

"I've been trying to wake you up for the last 20 minutes! I even tried violently shaking your shoulder!" Oh. That would explain the turbulence in my dream…

"I've already got toast and milk out on the table for you. Hurry! School starts at 7!" I scramble around and yank on my uniform, then rush to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash up. When I get to the kitchen Liz is putting my toast in a baggie for me to eat in the cab, and hands me the milk. I gulp it down, and she straightens my tie and fixes my uniform. Frowning, she tries to slick down my rebellious strand of hair, but is unsuccessful. Finally, I'm ushered into the cab waiting impatiently by the door, and we zoom off to Sir John's Academy.

When I finally find my classroom it's 7:05 already, and the teacher isn't pleased at all.

"Ah. Mr. Jones, you've finally arrived. I must warn you, tardiness is not accepted here at all. See to it next time that this does not happen again." The teacher is pompous looking, with spectacles dangling at the end of his long nose, eyes that look down at you, and an expensive looking suit. I grin and salute him. "Sure thing, dude!"

He stiffens. "What. Did you just call me?"

"Um… I called you 'dude'?"

"Unacceptable! I am Professor Lambridge to you! Sit down this instant or I will have you marked for detention!" I hear snickers echo throughout the classroom. This seems to infuriate him more. "SILENCE! OR I WILL HAVE YOU ALL MARKED DOWN FOR DETENTION!" The snickering stops immediately. I see their amusement as a kind of encouragement, 'cause you know, back in America we do this all the time and that's how you become "cool".

"Um, so where do I sit?"

Professor Lambridge pinches the bridge of his abnormally long nose. "I have arranged your seats in alphabetical order. You will sit in the sit in the front of Arthur Kirkland." I saunter towards the seat and plop myself down confidently, and swing around to talk to the kid behind me.

"So! You're Arthur Kirkland right?" He looks up, and I can see that he has multiple piercings on his ears. Man, this guy looks so badass.

"Obviously." His voice is a little sarcastic, and I also note that he has a tongue piercing as well.

"DUDE. YOU HAVE A TONGUE PIERCING. THAT'S SO COOL!"

"MR. JONES. QUIET, IF YOU PLEASE!"

"Sorry!" I call out, and I hear more giggles in the classroom. Arthur lets out a soft groan.

"What was that?"

"What was what?" Arthur looks mildly annoyed.

"Dunno. Didn't you say something?"

"No, I did not."

A ruler slams down on my desk, and I yelp. Professor Lambridge is glaring down the length of his long nose at me. "Alfred Jones. Turn around. NOW."

"Alright, alright, keep your pants on." I turn around, and when Professor Lambridge has his back to me, I quickly turn back to Arthur.

"Hey, mind if I call you Artie?" Arthur glares at me.

"MR. JONES!"

"Sorry!" I call out, and I hear another groan from behind me.

"Hey. Did you say something?"

That gets me another groan.

Arthur's POV

Just like the start of any new term, I promptly wake up at 5:45, shower and wash up, dress in my uniform, make myself some breakfast, say goodbye to my mint bunny and fairy friends, and ride the Tube to school.

I arrive there half an hour early and I use that time to look through my schedule to make sure everything's in order. I catch my reflection in the trophy case and frown. Ugh, my eyebrows really are too big… I've tried taming those wild beasts growing upon my face before, but I got ridiculed by my brothers and classmates for doing so. In the end, I just let them be. Anger starts to bubble up inside of me. Stupid brothers…I hate them so much.

I glance back at my schedule. I have English first, with Professor Lambridge. I've had him before. Horrible man. He confiscated the bandanna i wore around my neck last year. I hate him.

The bell chimes, and my school mates and I wander off towards our classes, and I see that we're being arranged in alphabetical order. I notice that an Alfred F. Jones sits in front of me. Funny, I don't think I've heard of him before. Looking at the clock, I notice it's 6:59, and we all take our seats. The bell chimes again promptly at 7, and Professor Lambridge begins his speech.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another term at Sir John's Academy. This is a top school designed to educate you so that you may go out into the world prepared for the obstacles that will surely be thrown in your way. Now, I would like you to know that I have several rules that I require you to follow. The first is tardiness…" I hear someone running down the hall and then the door slams open, startling all of us. A panting, bespectacled student saunters into the room as if he owned the place. He grins (charmingly) at Mr. Lambridge, who then reprimands him for his tardiness. He answers with an imprudent, "Sure thing, dude!" His accent and manner suggest he's American and I check the empty seat in front of me. All the other seats are filled, and I can only assume that this is Alfred Jones. I feel a wave of self-pity crash down upon me, and I bury my head into my arms. Distantly, I can hear Professor Lambridge scolding him yet again, and all around me I hear my school mates snickering like primary schoolchildren. Alfred then drops into his seat and whirls around to talk to me.

"So! You're Arthur Kirkland right?" I look up, and I notice that he has a brilliant, Oscar-winning smile, and that he also has a peculiar bit of hair sticking up.

"Obviously."

"DUDE. YOU HAVE A TONGUE PIERCING. THAT'S SO COOL!" I roll my eyes, and inwardly I feel sorry, oh so sorry, for myself. His excited outburst gains yet another reprimand from Professor Lambridge. He calls out an apology, and my classmates snicker yet again. I let out a soft groan.

"What was that?"

"What was what?" I'm getting more irritated by the second.

"Dunno. Didn't you say something?" Oh good Lord, his "English" is atrocious. I have half a mind to correct him, but I don't want to risk having Professor Lambridge giving me a detention; I have to work after school today. Instead, I give a short, terse reply.

"No, I did not."

Right after I reply, Professor Lambridge slams a ruler down on Alfred's desk, startling him to where he yelps like a little hurt puppy. Professor Lambridge looks as though he's going to lose it any second. Alfred is playing a dangerous game, toying with Lambridge like that. Alfred faces to the front, but as soon as Lambridge has his back to us, he turns around again.

"Hey, mind if I call you Artie?" I glare at him, anger swelling up inside of me. I hate that nickname. I see Professor Lambridge turn on his heel and shout Alfred's name. Again, Alfred calls out another apology.

Seeing how I'll be stuck with this buffoon for the rest of the term, I let out a soft groan.

"Hey. Did you say something?"

I groan again. This is going to be a very, very long term.

/Author's Note/

Yay! Second chapter is up :D Please review!