Malik took a heavy breath and let his forehead rest on the wall of the shower stall in the boy's locker room. He should be getting ready for gym, but damn it all... this headache... it was KILLING HIM. And his recollection of yesterday was foggy to say the least. This really was starting to bother him now because he already popped a few painkillers an hour ago and he still didn't feel any better.

So what could he remember? A bit of drinking a couple of bottles of liquor, but not much. He woke up this morning with his head beating like a drum, his mouth dry as sandpaper, and his stomach was doing front flips. Hell, he even puked and considered staying home again because of it. But common sense -seeing as he couldn't afford to skip anymore school days- ruled against that.

There was also the discovery of his wrist that made him a little uneasy. He must have done it while he was too drunk to care. But that doesn't explain why it was so neatly bandaged and clean. Someone had to have stopped by shortly after it happened, because he had his doubts that -depressed and drunk senseless- he would be able to tend to his own injuries.

Slowly turning his wrist over to have his palm facing him, he tucked his abused limb to his chest and breathed heavily, murmuring under his breath. "Fuck..."

It took another minute or so until he even bothered leaving the shower stall. And it wasn't even two steps into the gym until he was intercepted by Altair.

"What do you want," he questioned with clear exhaustion.

"Rough night?" Altair guessed.

"I don't need your sympathy, just do me a favor and leave me alone." Then he walked past him.

A moment later, his hopes of some space were once again dashed. La Volpe came up to him and told him that the guidance counsellor called and asked for him. Couldn't he just get a break? Seriously.

It wasn't like Mrs. Auditore was a bad woman or anything, she was very kind and patient. But Malik wasn't so much either one of those right now. He didn't want to put up with all this shit. And now he'd probably get the 'we're here for you' speech that they give to EVERY kid. Hadn't he heard it enough when his dad died?

Of course, when he arrived, Mrs. Auditore seemed to be typing on the computer. Has anyone else ever gotten the feeling like here wasn't where you were supposed to be? That's what Malik felt then.

Then she looked up and pulled on a gentle expression. "Could you take a seat, Malik?"

Malik shoved what discomfort he had somewhere off to the side and took a seat, the door closing behind him (it's one of those doors you need a doorstop to keep open). "Is there a problem?"

"Actually, I'm concerned," the counsellor admitted, "a student told me this morning that he found you yesterday drunk. And even said you had cut your wrists."

Shifting a little so his wrist was tucked in closer, he looked down. "I see..."

Mrs. Auditore seemed to feel as touchy about the subject as Malik. "I know you're not bad, and I understand Kadar's passing has left you a little vulnerable-"

"I'm not vulnerable," Malik claimed sharply. "And you don't know me! I can't expect anyone to understand!"

"You lost someone very much dear to you," she said calmly, almost untouched by his outburst. "I know what it's like when you can't do anything to help someone so close."

"Sure... right..." he knew he sounded like an ass, but he didn't truly care then. "Then tell me, how could you possibly know what it's like?"

The older took a slow breath, trying to calm herself, "My youngest son is dying. He's sick, and the doctors can't do anything to help him. I couldn't protect him from getting sick."

To this, Malik sobered. "I'm sorry... I..."

It was a long few minutes of dead silence. "So... is this rumor I've been hearing true?"

Malik chose to not argue. "Yes it is..."

"And do you know why you did it?"

"I... I just wanted to forget the pain, at least for a little while..." His throbbing skull was really starting to get to him.

"But that pain, Malik, never goes away," she told him, "it fades but you never forget... This person also told me that you didn't have anyone you could talk to about this."

"Because I don't," Malik claimed. Sure, she HAD Claudia at the hospital, but Federico probably would never let him see her again.

Mrs. Auditore smiled, "I don't think you're alone. I know my son wasn't the most polite to you in the hospital, he was just surprised is all, but that doesn't change that Claudia really does want to help. She's aware of what's going to happen to her little brother, and she wants someone she can confine in, someone who will really understand. I think both of you could help each other very much."

Malik nodded, "I didn't know. And I hope she doesn't have to find out about what I did. I guess it would set a bad example."

"Sooner or later she'll find out, I can't say it'd be from me, but it'll happen eventually," she looked down at her desk. "It might be better that she hears it from you than from somewhere else."

"Then I'll tell her."

He stood up to leave, but before he could go, she put a hand on his shoulder. "Please, watch out for her."

"I will."

Ezio pinched the bridge of his nose as he glanced back at the clock. Late again?

Actually, he should be used to Mr. Tazim's habit of showing up a full half hour late to class. What the hell does he even do in that half hour anyways? Cristina's guess on him always being busy between classes seemed the most likely and reasonable, but it just doesn't add up. A teacher gets to class on time, and on a fairly normal day, there's still another 45 minute left to work quietly- he should have plenty of time to handle everything then. But in stead, the Chemistry teacher comes in unacceptably late, and gives no hints as to what on Earth he could have been up to. There's hardly even enough time left by then to get through a lecture and instructions on the classwork.

But today, Ezio had little patience. He was exhausted (Federico's border-line obnoxious snoring as of late made sure of that), and his family was about as tense as a stretched rubber band. Even if Ezio could sleep, he didn't know if he could catch more than a couple of hours. He was still worried about Claudia, seeing as she was holding a grudge on both her older brothers.

"Maybe you need to spend the night at my place," Cristina brought up now, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I don't think my mom will mind."

He huffed a flat sigh. "No. But your dad might. He hates me, remember?"

Cristina cracked a grin and pecked his cheek, "He's on a business trip for the week. What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

Well when you put it that way... there was really only one answer Ezio could give. "Sure. It couldn't hurt, right?"

"HOW TOUCHING!"

Yup, there goes my eardrums. Ezio swung his attention straight towards Mr. Tazim, who was only -maybe- a foot away from his face, and nearly fell out of his seat in the process. Of all the lousy times he chooses to show up, he picks right when he got a date, and then decides to ANNOUNCE it to the entire class!

Ezio let his head fall to the table. One of these days, he was going to cut class...

Sorry for my terrible delay. I was stuck. I didn't know whether I should have Claudia pull Malik over or Malik go to the guidance counsellor first. But here it is. Sorry that it's choppy, I wrote this in a hurry.
And I figured I should add some more class time, seeing as I have so little of it right now.