The winner?
Well, would you look at this? I found some time to write! Seriously, things are so bad I had to drop out of a class, which I still need to take next semester. School, am I right? Sorry…what I meant to say was that it's good to be writing this again! Now if only I had more time to write them…
Edit: Can you believe that it was been almost a year since I wrote this story? I can't either because I thought that I would've had more time back then…in the summer. Smart, right? Anyways, classes are over for a while and I'll be able to finish this story and not keep anyone waiting! But really, I am very sorry for the non-updates…college is hard… ^_^;
…
After the school nurse had taken care of their wounds, Gilbert and Ivan were spoken to by administrators before being taken to the vice principal's office. Of course, Gilbert was already dreading the whole meeting. As he stepped in the room, he was greeted by Ivan's half smile and his grandfather's frown. Said grandfather was standing beside a window, staring out.
Gilbert and his grandfather sat down at the same time with the same expression on their face. They truly are related to each other, Ivan thought to himself. "Do you two fully understand why you are in my office right now?" Vice Principal Beilschmidt said. Gilbert wanted to say that it was a stupid question since the only reason he would be specifically in his office was because they're related, but didn't want to get in more trouble.
After a long lecture and a punishment of a two week home suspension, the two were dismissed. "Gilbert!" Gilbert stopped but didn't turn around, "What?" Opa Beilschmidt opened up his drawer and looked inside, "Tell your brother that I have something important to tell the both of you tonight." Gilbert nodded and left.
Gilbert walked into the hall and purposely walked past a waiting Ludwig. "Bruder, please wait!" Gilbert sighed and turned around, "Whaaaaat, West?" Ludwig drew back a little after looking at his brother's face. Gilbert had various bruises and bandages on his face and a particularly bad mark on his neck. Even so, Ludwig continued, "Why…why did you…"
"Were you watching me?"
"What does th-"
"What the hell are you even doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at practice right now?"
Ludwig looked away, "I-I was just worried…" "When will you learn to just stay out of my business!" Ludwig got angry, "What do you mean? I can't believe you'd do something as recklessly stupid as fight someone in school! Have you no shame?"
Gilbert smirked, "Don't think I didn't notice you there. From what I could tell, you seemed perfectly fine just watching from sidelines! Worried my ass!" Gilbert turned away, "Gramps wants to see us tonight…" He walked away, leaving a disappointed Ludwig.
…
After getting home, Gilbert ran straight to his room and immediately tore up a couple of his shirts and then threw his head down on his pillow and screamed. He sat up and started pulling at his hair, "Why…why? Why, damn it! Why? Why do I still feel like shit after having done what I finally wanted to do? I don't fucking get it!" Gilbert started rubbing his eyes hard, "And why can't I cry when I actually want to, damn it!"
Gilbert reached into his dresser and pulled out a razor blade and held out his left arm. Unfortunately, his left wrist was full of several scars from previous cuts and when he looked at his right wrist it was the same, "Damn, I guess I went a little overboard…"
None the less, Gilbert cut his upper arm several times, waiting for all of his pain to bleed away. Several hours and many unanswered phone calls later, Ludwig knocked on Gilbert's door, "Gilbert, Grandfather is here." Gilbert woke up with a sigh.
The three ate their meal in relative silence, but Opa Beilschmidt was determined to end it once again, "Ludwig, do you have any idea what your older brother did in school today?" Gilbert instantly dropped his fork. "Your brother got into a senseless fist fight with another boy on the baseball field! A boy in your own grade!"
Gilbert slammed his fists on the table, "I did not start it!" "That doesn't matter!" Ludwig could only shrink in his seat as the tension got worse. "Damn it, Gilbert! Do you have any idea how foolish you've made your entire family look? How poorly this will reflect on all of us? How do you think your older brothers will feel when they hear about this?"
"I don't give a damn about what they think! Not like they live here and not like they care."
"Of course your brothers care! Just like I do! I'm the damn vice principal, Gilbert! What will people say now that my own grandson was fighting, in my school no less?"
Gilbert growled, "What the hell does that have to do with me?" Opa could do nothing but put his hands on his face, "Ludwig, Ludwig. Please do not follow after your brother's example!" Ludwig gave a little grunt, but Gilbert laughed bitterly.
"Gilbert, what do you find so funny in all of this?"
Gilbert gave a huge smirk, "I just find it funny that you think West wouldn't know about any of this!" His grandfather raised an eyebrow, "Well, I must imagine word gets around fast and judging from your bruises…" Ludwig finally caught on, "Gilbert! Don't!"
"Kesesese, little Ludwig over here skipped practice to watch the fight!"
"Damn it, Gilbert!"
Opa Beilschmidt slammed his hands on the table and stood up, "Did you just swear, Ludwig?" Ludwig opened his mouth, but was interrupted, "Is what your brother said true? Did you actually skip practice just to watch a fight?" "No! I mean, not…I…" Opa was getting angrier, "How dare you lie to me, Ludwig! I raised you better than that! Do you always skip practice to watch fights?"
"Wh-what? No!"
Gilbert finished the rest of his food and stood up, "Well, if that's all you wanted to say to me then I'd best be on my way." "Sit down, Gilbert! That's not the only thing I needed to talk to you about." Gilbert sat back down with a huff, "Okay, so what?" He tried to ignore Gilbert's attitude and began, "Actually, this has to do with the both of you." Ludwig looked up, but couldn't face his grandfather.
Said grandfather took out a pamphlet from his pocket, "Starting next week, I will be at the school district's annual meeting out of town." Ludwig and Gilbert looked at each other, "Next week?" He nodded, "I will leave Sunday evening." Ludwig mumbled, "F-for how long?"
Opa Beilschmidt breathed in and then out, "I will be gone for three days. A whole week if it comes to that. That being said, since Gilbert's suspension starts tomorrow, which is Friday, I won't be here for most of it." Gilbert gave a poorly hid smile, "Oh, I see. That shouldn't be a problem. I'm sure we'll be fine!"
Ludwig's frown grew and his grandfather sighed, "Of course, this means that the both of you will be grounded until I come back." Gilbert stood up, "What the hell, old man? What the hell did I…oh…" Gilbert sat down and pouted, but Ludwig was still upset and accidently blurted out, "Why me too?"
Both Gilbert and his grandfather were surprised by Ludwig's unexpected outburst, "Why you? Instead of getting administrators and breaking up the fight, you just stood there watching your older brother get beaten up!" "Beat his ass…" Gilbert quickly mumbled before his grandfather grabbed his arm, startling him.
"Ludwig, look at your brother. Look at him! Look at all the bruises on him. Look at all the cuts! Look at his arm! I barely touch it and it's bleeding again. You could've prevented this if you did something other then spectate!"
Gilbert's eyes got wide and his heart started beating faster as he thought that at first his grandfather knew the real reason how he got the cuts on his upper arm. Ludwig looked away and felt crushed with shame and disappointment and his grandfather let go of Gilbert's arm, "Along with being grounded, you boys are not to have any guests over unless I send for one."
Gilbert immediately snapped out of his daze, "No way, old man! You can't seriously expect me to spend a whole week alone in here with Ludwig?" Said younger brother was too depressed to react. "No, three weeks." "Damn it!" "And if any of your older brothers decide to visit, they are most welcome to." Gilbert scoffed, "Fat chance!"
"Roderich and Mr. Vargas are free to visit and watch over you boys, but not any of Vargas' grandsons."
Ludwig wasn't exactly sure why his grandfather implied that both Vargas brothers would visit, but nodded his head. Gilbert carefully crossed his arms, "Roderich? What the hell? Not like he wasn't at the fight too." "What was that?" He would've repeated himself, but he realized that if it was between the stuffy Roderich and the awkward Ludwig he'd take his chances with the snob, "Nothing…"
Opa gave a small smirk, "This should give me a chance to get away from some stress and you boys will learn some responsibility." Gilbert balled his fists at the word stress. Stupid old man doesn't understand a damn thing! Gilbert got up and walked away.
"Gilbert!"
Gilbert turned back, "I'm done with my food and you're done telling us about your trip, so can't I leave now?" He gave a quick look over at Ludwig and was a little surprised at the look on his face. Ludwig gave him such a hurtful, hateful glare. Gilbert thought that he might feel a little better if he got his little brother in trouble, but that look was not what he expected.
He ran to the bathroom and looked at his arm. He thought that maybe he was a little too pale for his own good since every mark was very noticeable. Gilbert rubbed his face in his hands several times while thinking about his brother. Shit, West looked like he was gonna fucking cry! He knew it wasn't the first time he'd ever gotten his brother in trouble or to cry, but that was years ago. And this felt different.
He looked in the medicine cabinet and pulled out a hidden razor blade he'd forgotten about and almost dropped it. He caught it by his hip and remembered Katyusha showing Gilbert her hip. By no means did Gilbert like what he saw, but if he could still do it without it being noticeable…
"Shit, that still kinda hurts."
He looked at his now bleeding side and thought about the pain. Maybe I need to feel this pain… He did it a few more times until it didn't hurt anymore, "Damn, I don't want to mess up my pants." A knock on the bathroom door made Gilbert drop the razor, "Occupied, damn it!" He sighed after whoever left. It was probably Ludwig he sighed to himself.
…
It's true, I really did write most of this last year. Why did I hold on to it? I…sort of forgot I did and I thought I had more time to make this longer, so sorry for the short chapter. I just wanted to post something now since it's been awhile. I want to absolutely thank anyone who is still waiting for an update and those who are just starting this story now. Really, it's because of the recent watchers that I was reminded of this thing!
Please R&R It's all thanks to you.
