A/N: Hello, super quick update for you! Please don't expect updates everyday in general, it just so happens that this was the first chapter I actually wrote ^^ Thank you very much for the reviews, and to everyone who added this to their fic alerts. Oh and a massive thank you to the person who favourited it :D Reviews are still very, very much welcome, please tell me what you do or do not like about it. Well, enjoy!
John seemed amused by drama, he wasn't particularly adept at it, but he won the favour of the teacher by being willing to at least have a go at it. Sherlock nearly snorted when the smaller boy has to die, and fell over clutching his chest, one arm outstretched melodramatically. The teacher, however, applauded his efforts enthusiastically and told him to pair with Sherlock with the instructions to install some interest in the other.
John meandered over, giving him a typically good natured smile.
"Hi, alright?"
"Sterling performance." Sherlock half drawled, keeping a straight face for half a second before giving a ghost of smile in return.
"Brilliant, wasn't it?" John chuckled, "Alright, let's at least pretend to be doing something. I'll pretend to be dead, you can do the speech."
Sherlock cast him a critical eye, not even slightly fooled by his motives. Nonetheless he flung himself into the speech as the teacher approached to check on their work. John blinked up at the taller, he had not seen that coming. Of all the things he expected Sherlock to be good at, acting was not one of them. Satisfied that the teacher was no longer paying any attention to them he sat up,
"You're actually good at this!"
"Well thank you for sounding so surprised." Sherlock threw him a look of mock irritation.
"No, I mean, you could do this professionally."
"Not without being driven mad by boredom." He lightly replied, flicking through the play.
John shuffled back so he could lean against the wall,
"What do you want to do, when you leave?"
Sherlock pretty much had to stop himself from doing a double take; it was just polite conversation he reminded himself. He supposed that it wasn't something he was all that used to.
"I don't know, actually. I'd say detective but the police are incompetent, I don't want to get caught up in their idiocy."
John laughed,
"Don't you think everyone is an idiot?"
"More or less," Sherlock supplied instantly, "What about you? What you want to do I mean."
"I'm going to be a doctor, do something useful." John replied firmly, "What about your brother, what does he do?"
Sherlock tensed,
"How do you know I have a brother?"
"Oh, well some of the guys mentioned him."
He laughed shortly and humourlessly, of course 'the guys' would mention him. His brother was no more fond of most people than Sherlock was, but he was more willing to put up with them, and certainly better at charming them where it proved beneficial. He was exactly the kind of person the obnoxious, dull students attempted to cling to, hoping they could get dragged to the top with them. Thankfully Mycroft was adept in dealing with them and managed to keep more or less to himself, associating only with those he was likely to end up dealing with regularly in governmental positions.
"He works in the civil service," He answered shortly, "I don't plan to follow in his footsteps."
"Oh, right," John paused for a moment, his voice laced with confusion and slightly apologetic when he continued, "I didn't mean to, I don't know, offend you."
Sherlock stared blankly at the other for a moment before managing to respond,
"Right…it's fine."
They exchanged equally confused looks, then suddenly overcome by the absurdity of the almost silent argument they'd had burst into hushed giggles.
Caught up in his own thoughts (more Sherlock-centred than he'd like to admit), he got halfway to the dining hall before he realised someone was calling his name. He glanced back to see one of the boys he'd met on the first day, William, and gave a somewhat forced smile,
"Hey."
"Thought you were ignoring me there Johnny," The other smiled a shark-like smile and slung an arm around his shoulder as they continued walking, "See you're getting close to that fr-Holmes."
Something in his tone made John tense apprehensively, before he realised it he was replying,
"Nah, I was just being civil, no need to make enemies."
"Good man, best just keep your distance from that one, all the same."
John came to an abrupt stop, turning to the other and frowning,
"What do you mean, why?"
"Well, you know what they say," He gave him a pointed look, but seeing the others' blank expression continued with mock delicacy, "Let me put it this way, have you ever seen him so much as look at a girl? Beyond his freakish 'observing'?"
"No, not exactly, that doesn't really mean that much though, he could just be shy?" John replied, attempting to keep his tone light and offhand.
"Shy, him?" He gave a sharp humourless laugh, "Plus there are those rumours."
John blinked back at him,
"What rumours?"
"You haven't heard? Old news I suppose now. Ever wonder why everyone keeps away from him? Thing is, last year this guy overdosed, big investigation and his name gets dragged into it, apparently he was involved." William paused as if for dramatic effect, "Well no one really knows what happened, police dropped it for some reason."
John felt his stomach sink, his mind going oddly blank, as if refusing to acknowledge what he'd heard.
"Oh, right. Cheers, yeah, for letting me know. I'd better be careful." He weakly supplied, forcing on a dead smile and changing course, heading for his room.