It had been a weird few weeks. After going to Harry Potter world, neither Alfred nor Arthur were able to treat each other the same. Arthur would still try to act normal but horribly fail at points while Alfred just refused to look him in the face at all. The days seemed too long and the silences when they were left alone together too awkward. But they did manage to get far enough into summer and near the new school year that it was time for their first day of high school.
Alfred woke up, pulling the northern states on his blanket over to the south as he jumped out of bed. Well...maybe that would be an exaggeration. He woke up today the earliest he had all summer so it was more like a fall from his bed to the floor and then a limp across the room. The American shoved on his clothes, choosing to wear his new Captain America t-shirt he got from Hot Topic, shorts, flip flops, and a belt showing all of the countries flags. His hand brushed against his own flag as he heard the seat belt buckle click close. He really loved the new belt fashions these days and man, was it easier to just press a button to unbuckle your belt or what?
A smile graced itself onto Alfred's face for the first time since his trip to Hogwarts. He was finally a high schooler! Time for people to start taking him more seriously! He saw Arthur groan and shift upward in bed, trying to move and get ready for the day. The smile faded slightly on his face but he left the room and bounced downstairs before it could go any farther. He had eaten breakfast, grabbed his backpack, and was standing near the front door waiting eagerly for everyone when he realized it.
He lost the bet.
Arthur stepped out of the car just as Alfred's foot stepped onto the sidewalk. What a weird feeling this was. He wasn't going to school in his home turf anymore. He had to get used to life as an American teenager. Well, he supposed that this was the whole point of the exchange. Alfred had barely looked at him for weeks and when he met him at the door, he got the unexpected. He was actually looking at him, but in more of a defensive, almost annoyed kind of way. He remembered the way the American scoffed at him as he left the house and walked out to the car. Something was definitely off about the bloke.
The Brit suddenly looked up at the high school. It was fairly large with tall white walls and some fences here and there... but that choice of words didn't describe it well. It wasn't a prison but more of a...erm...something. The fences were wide and spread out so that the area of the school was larger than it already was (which was huge to begin with) and the school even had practically two halves to it. There was the main building, built in a square-like manner with two courtyards in the center, and then there was an ally that you had to walk over to get to the other half of the school.
If you walked up the ally instead of across it, you would reach a bundle of trailers used for portable classrooms. To get to those though you had to actually cross a street. It felt like you were leaving the school almost. Not only that but there were houses very close to the school as if the buildings just fell out of the sky and landed in a secluded neighborhood. Although the school stretched all the way out to the curb of a busy street. If you passed the ally and the portables, you found the second half of the strange new school, consisting of the "bell building" (the building primarily used for science classes that had a bell tower at the top), the gymnasium, the cafeteria (which was a very relaxed place as well), and if you walked far out enough through the halls, you could reach the stadium that was extremely far away from the main building. But it didn't stop there.
There were little places here and there that the Brit couldn't quite place yet as to what they were. He saw a tall, open building with half of the one visible side's wall being a black iron fence, giving it an elegant aura, where many students were sitting on round tables eating chips! Or fries as the Americans call them. There were many snack machines available throughout the school and even some small vendors where people would sell snacks such as cris- chips and those fries everyone found so delicious. It seemed as if everyone was eating a small bowl of them.
Arthur stopped in a hallway, losing sight of Alfred who had scurried away from him as soon as he could. He took the time to notice how open the hallways were. It was like he was walking outside, he could feel the fresh air on his skin, but the school still towered above him. It was a very hard place to describe. It wasn't like most other schools where everything is closed off and it's just one huge building. This place was a large cluttered assortment of all sorts of buildings with hallways that didn't shut out the outside. Then there was a second level to the school where the "hallways" were even more open. And after you thought there was no more school left to explore, there was a third floor! It was inconceivable! Even the architecture was odd. It was a very old school, made not in modern times but as if it was invented over a hundred years ago. Above the stage in the auditorium were a few words about "the Queen" and it was then that he knew that most of the architecture was imported from his home country. He felt a new little sentimental feeling creep up inside of him and knew he would begin to like this school even more now.
Arthur hurried to his homeroom which took some time to find in this huge place but he managed. There was no more time to admire anymore of the school's lay-out. His class was difficult to find but it's not like it was something to fret over if it took a while.
Alfred frantically skimmed the plaques above each door for his room, room 142.
Nope, that 128.
He continued walking, starting to hyperventilate over the dilemma until he found room 141 which was at the very end of the hallway. How was he supposed to find his classroom now! Alfred's legs didn't stop him from walking out of the hallway and onto a sidewalk curved into the corner of the school though. He was about to step onto one of the many parking lots of the school when his head turned and saw a sign exclaiming "Congratulations! You have found room 142!" The American blinked at the set of double doors. Inside it was still dark but soon enough a man walked by him with a key and started to unlock the door.
"E-excuse me but are you Mr. Desariea?" He had to give it a shot.
And with luck, the man nodded and opened the door, letting Alfred inside the air-conditioned room. He was relieved at last and let his troubles fall to his sides about his first day of high school and what was yet to come.
Dammit. Where is it? ...Here? No. Is it-yes! It's here! Finally!
There it was. Alfred's first (and second apparently) period class, Portable 7. Well, that was where it was located at least. It certainly took some time to find it. To go all the way from his homeroom to his first period was awful since he had no clue where anything was. Thankfully he recognized a sign from his orientation that reminded him that the ally was right there. He ran up the ramp and opened the classroom door to find half the class already there.
He was too flustered from trying to find this magical place that he just sat in a random empty seat, not even bothering to check and see if he knew anyone in the class. Chances were he didn't anyways. Most of his friends went to a different high school, Faun High. And he knew a few others who went into a neat technology program at another school. He doubted many people he knew would be at his school let alone his classes. Not even his friend Gilbert was here with him. It couldn't have been helped though. Gilbert was actually a year younger than him, just starting 8th grade today. They had been best friends for ten years though even with their one year age difference. What was sad was that even when Gilbert did become a 9th grader, he was going to Faun too, just like everyone else.
Alfred felt a tap on his shoulder and looked to his right in annoyance. He froze. In the seat next to him was none other than...Arthur.
"What the hell are you doin' here? !" He had never expected the Brit to be in his classes!
"Just the same as you, git. I'm here for class. What? You didn't think I would be in your classes? Hmph, well, I stole a glance at your schedule after the orientation which you abandoned me at so of course you wouldn't have known I was in this class with you. I won't tell you what other classes we have together, love." Arthur grinned maliciously, boosting up his charm by flaunting his accent. A few girls in the class had let their eyes wander to him amidst their conversations as they failed to keep their glances hidden.
"I-I-I don't care! Whatever!" It hurt a little bit. Arthur seemed to have everything sometimes. The girls all wanted him because of his stupid annoying accent, he was always able to find something to gloat about and make fun of Alfred for, and he sometimes even felt that Arthur looked handsomer than he did. Truthfully, he felt a twang a jealousy in his stomach whenever he saw him, especially now that they weren't (supposed) to be speaking. So to know that Arthur was just as smart as him and maybe even smarter hurt his pride a lot. It was the only thing he had left to be proud of against the Brit's vast majority of achievements and things. So he looked to his desk, refusing to talk to Arthur for the rest of the period. And the period after that...and the period after that.
By the end of the day, Alfred was exhausted. He rolled on his bed and curled into his US blanket, feeling the relaxed temperature of Colorado during the summer. Not as hot as Florida, but definitely not as cold as the state was in the winter, that's for sure.
His classes had consisted of AP Human Geography, some sort of study hall-like thing, English 2 Honors, Geometry Honors, Biology (he couldn't remember if it was an AP or Honors class), lunch, Drama 1, and French 3. The only class he and Arthur did not share was 7th period! How he managed to get him for every other class, he did not know, but he knew the only thing that saved him from a Brit-filled 7th period was Arthur's hatred for France. A sad thing to hate people you'd never met based off of only what you'd heard from your peers. But if that was what kept him from being in every single one of his classes, have at it! Most of their classes had upperclassmen too. It was strange. He couldn't tell which classes were only 9th graders. Half of his Geometry and English classes were made up of 10th graders too. He might have and a few 11th graders as well and he sort of remembered someone talking about a senior in his French class but he couldn't remember if that was true or not.
This was pretty neat, to know he was smart enough for classes years above him and not only that but his AP classes were college level! ...but that also made it harder for Alfred to make friends. It was kind of hard for him to believe himself but he actually could be pretty shy sometimes.
There were so many complications throughout the day and so many different things! He couldn't bear to remember them all. He was just too tired. The American was still lying on his bed when Arthur walked in.
He stared as Alfred realized his presence and began to pull the blanket over his face so as to not see him...but for some reason he saw a hint of a blush. The gears rolled in Arthur's head, pondering why Alfred would be blushing at him when the rest of the summer had been glares and quick glances when it all of a sudden hit him. It hit him so hard he was surprised he didn't fall backwards from the force. His jaw dropped as he realized what it meant as well...but it didn't stay that way for long as a playful grin appeared on his face.
"Oh, Alfred, why do you look like that? Is there something you forgot to tell me? Or rather show me?"
Alfred suddenly felt pressure on his body as Arthur climbed on top of him to his astonished embarrassment. He was going to shove him off but Arthur suddenly grabbed his wrists and wrestled them to the sides of his head, not freeing them for the life of him. There was no way Arthur could just let this opportunity leave him before it had even slipped through his hands!
Alfred squirmed but couldn't find an escape route with Arthur pushing him in on all sides. He looked to Arthur and saw the smirk gracing his face and immediately became offensive. He was tired of that smirk. Tired of being showed up and played with. But that didn't stop Arthur from continuing.
"So what was it? I got to stuff cherries up your arse if you didn't let me meet your dad before summer ended?"
"N-no! It was shove them down my pants! Not like that!" Alfred couldn't believe the situation he'd gotten himself into.
"Hm, well I like my version better. But I'll give you a choice Alfred. Either we go with the original bet or I can be a little more flexible."
"Flexible...?"
"Yes. I'd be willing to let the original consequence slide if you chose this option. You'd just have to pretend to be my boyfriend for the entire year. If I were you, I would choose the latter. It's much more fun for the both of us! Although I wouldn't mind those sweet cherries..."
Where was the Arthur Alfred had met that blissful summer day? ! W-well...he already knew his choice anyways. It was the only choice.
"F-fine. I'll pretend to be your boyfriend."
Arthur tightened his grip on Alfred's right hand and brought it closer to himself, ready to shake it.
"Deal?"
"..." Alfred looked up into Arthur's eyes. They showed no emotion, just a death stare back into his own. "...Deal."
The two shook on it. Alfred was suddenly freed from Arthur's position and he sat up quickly, not letting any more opportunities to be jumped arise again.
"You really are an idiot." Alfred frowned at Arthur's statement. "You didn't even ask of my requirements as my boyfriend. Did you even wonder who I decided to be the female of this 'relationship'?"
Alfred was shocked. He hadn't thought of that under all of the pressure of his decisions. All he knew was that he wanted to find a way out of Arthur shoving a cherry-filled hand up his ass. That would not have been fun.
"Well, it'll be you, won't it? You are the more feminine of the two of us, you know." Alfred stated looking to Arthur who just smirked that annoying little smirk again. He preferred his usual scowl. At least that face didn't mean trouble.
"I don't think you're thinking clearly Alfred. Who was the one who took the lead during our fun little trip to Hogwarts, hm?"
Alfred thought back to the day he had tried so hard to shove out of his mind. But he understood Arthur's point.
"Wait, you don't mean-"
"See you later, love." Arthur said as he strutted- no, swaggered out of the room. He seemed pretty happy for himself, like this whole conversation just made his day. Greeeat.
As Arthur closed the door behind him he finally let his heart beat as fast as it had been wanting to. The Brit leaned against the door, letting his body take a break to comprehend everything that just happened. It was as if a whole new, slightly perverted, side of himself had appeared and taken over. And that new side just happened to have made Alfred his boyfriend. Well, even if he was his fake boyfriend, that didn't mean he couldn't just forget about the fake part. And maybe Alfred would feel the same way about him soon too. Because he finally realized his own feelings.
He loved him.
OMGOMGOMGOMG, Arthur you sly dog! Alfred's got some new things to add to his list of freshmen troubles. I completely forgot to update this thing (and I was lazy-) SHUT UP STUPID PARENTHESIS! As I was saying, so I started writing this chapter the day of my orientation but didn't finish it so yeah. I also ended up writing this the day after my first day of high school ^^' ME UNMOTIVATED. But I had fun writing this so I should be motivated again! Idk how much I'll be able to update again with school and what not now. Also, I'm sorry I had to change the bet up. By the time I started writing it was too late to continue it and I also was too lazy to write about all of my freshmen woes and worries in here so I left out basically ALL of Alfred's first day. Sorry guys! But I'm going to a non-fundamental school now! I've been in fundamental schools my whole life so this is a real change. But I like it! So many more freedoms, get to have out phones all the time, get to wear SHORTS AND FLIP FLOPS! YEAH! Florida gets hot, yo. Forgot everything else I wanted to say in here :'D Oh well :3 Sorry again for the lateness and lack of updates this ummer and many future ones to come! Dx
